Death Note: The Chronicles of Anna Akame
by pkpulakkmr
Summary: Anna Akame is an unassuming high-school student who's largely unremarkable aside from her excellent grades and school reputation. But one day she gets sucked into a plot by the beautiful Reaper Nazara, and, well you know the rest.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys. So, this is in actuality my first bonafide attempt at writing fanfiction, and my longest-running one so far. I originally started this story on Facebook in May 2015, wanting to do a gender-flipped retelling of the Death Note manga series. Spurred on by positive feedback, I've continued to write this fic until August, when it went on hiatus. In order to bring my work to a broader audience, I'll now post the entirety of my Death Note fic on this website, and continue the story here.**

* * *

We Reapers live a quiet life in the Underworld. Too quiet for me. Everyone else just wastes their time in apathy and frivolity. I need something more interesting to do.

"Hey, Nazara!" says Harbinger, drawing me out of my reverie. "You wanna play Checkers?"

"Checkers? No, I've played it 4 million times already!"

"Yeah, well the Overworld humans really do take their time coming up with new things to do, don't they?"

"Have you ever heard of video games, Harbinger? We should be getting all the new releases as they come, but nobody seems to give a crap about infrastructure around here, do they?"

"Well, can't argue with that, really. I guess obscenely long lifespans have a way of making everyone complacent."

"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if things are more fun over at the Overworld." suddenly, it hits me, "Or if I could _make_ some fun of my own, for old time's sake!"

"Oh, I see that look in your eyes, Nazara! What are you thinking?"

"None of your business."

"You're so hot when you act all rude like that!"

"Very funny. And I'm still not sleeping with you."

I quickly walk away from him, towards a little portal that exists at the back of the arcade. My old friend Rem designed this ditty, allowing us to look at the Overworld for our amusement whenever we felt like it.

But I've worked out a way to do more than just look...

* * *

Another day, another lecture. I can't exactly say they get on my nerves; I am the top-ranked student of my class, after all. But after a point, all this education just seems to be holding me back. I want to cut loose, make a difference in the real world, you know?

"Anna!" the teacher's voice shouts, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Can you tell me whether these two equations can have a solution?"

Ah, a pair of linear equations in two variables. I spent all last night looking over these. Partly because we have exams coming up in a couple months, and partly because I have nothing better to do these days. Saving up for that PlayStation 4 is taking a while.

"No, ma'am, they don't. They-"

"Thank you, Anna. George, care to explain why?"

"Er..."

I take no pleasure in watching George stumble through his answers. To be honest, I have a bit of a crush on him. Maybe I could tutor him for a bit at my house. I'll probably discuss this with Mom and Dad first, but I don't think they'll-

!

What was that? Hmm...some sort of notebook just dropped out of the sky and fell into the lawn.

Doesn't look like anyone else has noticed. Maybe I'll check it out.

Ah, recess! I look forward to it with just as much eagerness as the everyone else, something I feel compelled to keep pointing out whenever they mock for being a "nerd". Everyone wants to get the kind of grades I'm getting, but I wonder how they'll feel when _they_ find themselves at the receiving end of the shit they put me through.

Hmm...ah, yes, the notebook! It's right there in the middle of the lawn. Doesn't look like anyone else is bothered about it. But it just dropped out of the sky.

I wonder what it-!

 _Death Note_

What the hell?

A Death Note? What is this?

There seem to be a bunch of instructions on the inner cover.

 _The person who's name is written in this notebook shall die._

Holy shit, that's messed up. What kind of nutcase would ever make something like this? Talk about a twisted joke. Then again, we do live in a world of shitty scare-mongering junk mail, among other things.

I'm taking this with me, and when I find out who dropped this...

"Mom, I'm home!"

"Anna! How was your day today?"

"Oh, the usual, you know." I say, deciding not to tell her about my new notebook just yet.

"It better be the usual. We wouldn't want your stellar academic performance to suffer now, would we young lady?"

I sigh. "Really, mom?"

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you." she says, trying to deflect my exasperation with a chuckle.

"I know, mom." I say, and kiss her on the cheek. And then I run to my room.

Hmm...other than that notebook, the day has been rather uneventful. Which means I can't stop fucking thinking about it.

I finally give into the tempation and open up my bag. Sure enough, the "Death Note" is right there. A hardbound, sleek black notebook that just happens to feature the word "Death" on its cover.

I take another look at the inner cover, and read the instructions properly this time.

1\. The person who's name is written in this notebook shall die.

2\. Provided you actually picture the guy's face when you're writing it, dummy! There are just SO many people with the same goddamn name out there, it's frustrating as fuck!

3\. Anyway, after writing down your deathee's name, the default setting is death by heart attack within 40 seconds.

4\. You can modify the cause of death if you choose to add it on within 40 seconds of writing the name. Don't take longer than 6 minutes to finish up, though!

5\. The notebook is A4 sized with around 240 pages, for starters. If you somehow manage to run out of pages for whatever reason, don't worry. I know you have the notebook, and I'll be seeing you soon.

And that's where the instructions on this side of the cover end. I take a look at the instructions written at the inner back cover of the book, but they make it pretty clear that the author of this mystery diary went off the deep end, what with all the mentions of Reapers, and the Underworld and everything. I should probably just take some pictures of this and post them online for the laughs.

But man, the idea is so fucking crazy. So crazy that...nah, no way, no way!

But if it is...dammit, what is wrong with you, Anna Akame, get a hold of yourself!

Okay, you want to test it? Fine, let's test it!

Okay. In the monumentally unlikely event I actually do end up killing someone, I should probably pick someone nobody cares about. No, no, more like, we'd be better off without. You know, like a serial killer or a bank robber or something. Hmm...oh, what's that on my news feed? Huh?

"Robert Donnell, a man wanted for the murder of fourteen teenagers at the Mohawk Valley massacre, is holding twenty people hostage at the McCarthy High School."

"Robert Donnell has an extensive criminal record, having been convicted of breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted murder, among other things."

"Police have the area completely surrounded. Our sources tell us that hostage negotiators are currently in talks with Mr Donnell."

And then I see it. A mug shot of Mr Robert Donnell pops up right on my screen. I know his name, and I know what he looks like.

I write his name down into the notebook.

I count the seconds, and as they go up to forty, I'm starting to feel a little relieved. Whew, of course this was a prank, of course...

"This just in! Police are storming the building!'

"All hostages reported safe! We can see them being escorted out now!"

"We have an exclusive update on Robert Donnell! Witnessess say that he simply fell unconscious mid-negotiations."

"Robert Donnell has just been pronounced dead."

Oh my God. Oh my...oh...no, no, this has to be a coincidence

This is just one person. That's not enough evidence. I need more evidence before I can come to a conclusion about this.

Alright, another guy. Just like this one. A criminal, or an asshole, someone we'd be better off without. If another guy dies like that, I could probably still...shit...shit, what's going on?!

"Mom!" I call out, heading down the stairs.

"What is it?"

"I'm going out for a walk."

"Oh, while you're at it, could you get the groceries too? Here's the list!"

I hastily grab the list and dart off before she has the chance to say anything else.

Alright, calm down and walk. A nice long walk's always calmed me down whenever I've been stressed. Just take a nice, long walk, and think this through.

Alright, the groceries. Yeah, the groceries. Just go ahead and get those. One thing at a time.

Okay, here's the shop. Now I'll just...what the?

Some bikers are manhandling a girl. Looks like they have her surrounded. Maybe...maybe this is my chance!

They're getting pretty rough with her too. I edge around the scene, finding a nice little corner where I can see things without drawing attention to myself.

"Get off me!" she screams.

"Say my name, and I might just listen to you." says the guy grabbing on to her. He might be their leader.

"Goddamit, let me GO!" she screams louder, and tries to break away.

"Harley Donahue! Say it! SAY IT!" he screams.

This guy is an absolute piece of shit. I almost want him to die.

But anyway, time to continue the experiment.

 _"Harley Donahue. Death by vehicular collision."_

If this notebook really does work, I should see it happen right in front of me.

"HARLEY! HARLEY DONAHUE!" I hear the woman scream.

Harley throws her off to the side. "She's all yours, now." he says to his fellow bikers. "I'm heading back."

As his bike makes its turn into the freeway, a speeding truck rams it straight off the road.

"HARLEY!" screams one of the bikers, and they all abandon the girl and rush towards the wreckage that is Harley's bike.

I'm able to get a good look at it myself. Harley's body is bloody and mangled. There's no way he survived.

Which means this Death Note actually works.

Which means I just killed two people.

I quietly enter the shop and buy the groceries. I need to get back home. I can't let my mom start to worry. I can't let her find out about this.

By the time I reach home, I find that both my father and brother have come back. My brother's a software engineer. My father is a goddamn homicide detective for the NYPD. Shit, shit!

Okay, Anna, calm down. Those two deaths were accidental. Nobody suspects you of a thing.

"Oh, hey dad! Hey, Ben!"

"Hey, Anna! You took your time." replies my mother.

"Yeah, well, here are the groceries!" I say, as flippantly as I can. Judging by the reaction of my family, it worked.

"So, how was your day?" Ben asks me. "Mine was hell..."

"She didn't even answer your question, Ben!" says my dad in mock outrage.

"Ah, well, it was the usual, you know. Same old, same old."

"Well, let me know when things get interesting!" Ben replies.

"I'll head up to my room now." I tell them, and head up to my room.

I set down the Death Note, taking another look at the two names.

 _Robert Donnell_

 _Harley Donahue. Death by vehicular collision._

The notebook actually works. It wasn't a joke at all. Whoever dropped this...oh God!

I killed those people. I'm a murderer. And now, what...what do I do?

But then again-

"Anna! Dinner's ready!"

"Coming!"

The dinner is a quiet affair. I keep as guarded and calm as I can be around my family. Nobody appears to suspect anything.

Which is for probably the best. I can't involve my family in this mess.

Finally, dinner's over and I can return to my room for bedtime. Nobody's going to bother me until next morning.

What do I do?

This notebook is real. Which means that aside from the two people I just killed, I could kill others as well. Many others, in fact. And as for the two people I killed, they were deranged, clear-cut troublemakers who could have caused a lot of harm if I hadn't stopped them. They were bad people. Awful people.

And there's no shortage of terrible people like them. I could find out who they are, and put an end to their crimes before they hurt any more people. Would it really be so bad if I did?

In fact, was it really so wrong of me to kill those two people? No, no, I don't think it was. It was exactly what I should have done.

In fact, people should know about me. Not about who I am, but what I can do. With the stroke of my pen, I can deliver justice. I can right so many wrongs. I can use this power to finally make a difference in the real world. A phenomenal, everlasting difference. I can punish the evil and horrible people in this world, and in the process, remind everyone else how they should live.

I will ensure that the only people who carry on in this world are of good character and honorable nature. I will clean out the rot that has set in. I will accomplish what generations of mankind have tried to, but haven't entirely succeeded in doing. Because they didn't hold the power that I do. They didn't have the determination that I do.

I will save the world from itself. And I have no time to waste.

I immediately turn on my computer, and browse the news, the encyclopedias, any information source that I can trust. And I find the people I'm looking for.

Serial killers, drug dealers, terrorists, rapists. All their names and faces. All their fates sealed by my pen.

The search goes on. As does my writing. Page after page gets filled with the names of the lowest of the low. The first two people I killed couldn't hold a candle to the horrors so many of these monsters have committed.

I don't write down the causes of death for any of these people. They will all die of heart attacks. People will see a pattern. They will know their savior has arrived.

My crusade goes well into the early morning hours. By the time I decide to stop, I already know it's too late for me to get any sleep. But that's alright. Losing some sleep is a laughable price to pay for what I've accomplished. What I've just started to accomplish.

The next day at school is a bit of a struggle due to my lack of sleep. I need to rethink my goals from a long-term perspective. Though what I am doing is of paramount importance, I cannot sacrifice my life as a student for it. I'll need to preserve my academic standing if I am to avoid future complications in carrying on with my mission.

I'll make the necessary adjustments to my daily routine. It will take time for me to adapt to my new situation, to my new duties. But I will adapt.

And a week later, I have adapted considerably. My academic performance has once again stabilized, being pretty much as strong as it used to be. And so has my performance as this world's savior.

I make my way into my room, take out the Death Note from its carefully guarded location, and take another look at the progress I've made. Soon enough, the number of monsters who have died will be too many to ignore. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing, one day at a time.

"I see you're enjoying yourself, Anna Akame."

With a jolt I turn around. I see a woman in front of me.

She is beautiful. So good looking, in fact, that I'd be hard pressed to think of anyone I'd met who could compare with her beauty. And the smile she wears is almost saintlike. But I can detect the mischief hidden within it.

"Who are you?" I ask, politely.

"My name is Nazara. I'm one of the Reapers of the Underworld, and the former owner of that Death Note."

"Reapers?" I shudder in spite of myself.

"Well, you're certainly handling this better than most other people who've met me. Yes, I'm a Reaper who's job is to collect the dead souls from this world when their time is up."

"I see."

"Relax, Anna, I'm not here to do anything to you."

"You're...not?" I then realize that I'm surprised.

"No, I just came by to fulfill a promise."

It is then that I remember one of the instructions written on the inside cover of the Death Note.

 _I know you have the notebook, and I'll be seeing you soon._

"So, then, have you been watching me ever since I found the notebook?"

"Why yes, I have!" she replies. "And I must say, it has been quite entertaining. Far more entertaining than any other time I dropped the Death Note here."

"You...you what?"

"I keep dropping these books of death around here from time to time, whenever I'm bored." Nazara begins, "Most of the time people test it out, realize they've just become murderers, and lose their minds. Some rare exceptions try to tell everyone around them about it, which is when I have to retrieve the offending notebook, and make them all forget about the whole affair. But embracing the notebook and all its power? I've certainly seen people consider it, but you must be the first person I've met who actually went all the way."

"I'm...I'm flattered."

"Feel about my statements however you want. I'm not here to pass any sort of judgment. Unlike you, it would seem."

"Look, I'm trying to-"

"I know, I know, kill all the bad people, make the world a beautiful place, yadayadayada. I just wanted to ask you a little question, if you would humor me."

"Okay. Shoot."

"Hey, Anna! Got a minute?"

Oh no. It's Ben.

"Relax." Nazara says. "As long as Ben doesn't touch the Death Note, he won't even know I'm here!"

I quickly stash away the Death Note, and open the door.

"Hey, sorry to bother you." Ben says, his voice hassled, "But have you seen my USB drive anywhere?"

"No, I haven't-"

"It's alright, Ben!" I hear my mom scream. "I found it!"

"Oh! Oh thank God! Sorry to bother you, Anna!" he says, and promptly leaves.

I close the door behind him, and then turn to Nazara, who was in plain sight the whole time.

"See? Told you."

"So...Ben couldn't see or hear you?"

"Yep. And unless he holds the Note in his hands, he'll never be able to."

"Interesting." I say.

"And now, let's get back to my question. If, say, your efforts to purify the world succeed, and the world is only populated by the kind-hearted and good-natured people you approve of, won't that make you the only monster left?"

I think over Nazara's question for a moment. Then I speak.

"The thing about power is, it also gives you a lot of responsibility. Now that I have embraced my power to steer the world in the right direction, I must also bear the responsibility of making the necessary sacrifices to ensure I succeed, regardless of what anyone else thinks. I may appear to be the only monster left once I've succeeded. But that is because I am the only one determined enough to lead the world into its rightful future, into its ideal state. If I have to sacrifice my life, my peace of mind, and my dignity for that, I will. So that everyone who is living a happier, healthier and safer life because of me, doesn't have to."

"Bravo, Anna, you are quite the wordsmith!" says Nazara. I can't tell if she's genuinely complementing or mocking me. "And you really are a very interesting human being. I look forward to getting to know you."


	2. Chapter 2

"Interesting." says Nazara, poring over my Death Note.

"Could you be more specific? You've been saying that a lot." I reply.

"You haven't written the causes of death for most of these people, but there are some curious exceptions. You've killed plenty of people by stroke or cancer despite their lack of, you know, a criminal record."

"I was hoping you'd pick up on that." I say, smiling. "Just because somebody isn't a convicted felon doesn't make them immune to my judgment. Every single person on this planet needs to be held accountable for their actions if my vision is to be realized."

"I see. So what, were all these people heinous criminals who somehow slipped through the cracks of your country's laws?"

"Not all. Some of the people you're talking about deserved to die because their actions were deplorable, but not illegal." I point to a name the reads _Kyle Rivers. Death by testicular cancer._ "This man was a ruthless loan shark who extorted the families of illegal immigrants to the point of effectively enslaving them."

Another name, _Kayla Lawlet. Death by leprosy._ "This woman cheated millions of people out of their life savings by way of phony medical institutions. But to escape the clutches of the law, she classified them as recreational facilities on all of the legal documents."

And lastly, _Tanya Panabaker. Death by suicide._ "She was a spoilt rich bitch, and a compulsive junkie who left her own children to drown in the bath while she was out there getting her fix. And when her husband tried to divorce her and gain custody of the children, who thankfully survived, she fabricated a sensational tabloid scandal just so that she could win against him."

"So why not just kill them with heart attacks, like you did with everyone else?"

"Because I'm not just engaging in some senseless killing spree, Nazara." I say. "I'm setting up my own system of justice, one that will ultimately supersede the rotten, corrupt system we have today. Not all evil is equal. Some actions are more redeemable than others."

"More redeemable?"

"That's right. I don't write anyone's name down until I'm certain that they're completely unrepentant regarding their sins. And that's where the hierarchy comes into play. Mass murderers and terrorists almost never change themselves even after they've been punished for their crimes. I'm more patient with liars and cheats, because they are often driven by pettier motives, and are hence more likely to regret their actions. My system is simple. The worst of what humanity has to offer will die of heart attacks, while people who aren't quite as terrible, but still irredeemable and useless, will die of other causes. People will see the patterns. They will know how much leeway I am willing to give them for their sins."

Nazara just smiles at my words. As usual, I am unable to tell how sincere it really is. "Let's see how this system of yours works out." she finally says.

"It won't be easy. It will take time and effort to get my message across. But I will prevail. In fact," I continue with a proud smile, "I'm already making progress."

I show Nazara a website I stumbled upon just yesterday. It is designed as a black and white meshwork. It's an anonymous tribute to me, and everything I've done.

"Kira, Our Savior." I say, reading the title of the web page. "We, the people of a proud new world, express our tremendous gratitude to our protector and savior Kira, the hero who has given us hope at a time when everyone around us seems to be failing us. His swift and decisive crusade for justice inspires us, empowers us, and gives us hope for a tomorrow more beautiful and perfect than any other we have ever witnessed. We pray to you, Kira, that you never waver from your dreams, as we share those dreams with you. We will do everything we can to aid you in creating the new world you have envisioned for us, and will loyally serve you until your work is complete."

I turn to Nazara, full of pride and joy, "This is the effect my actions are having on the people of the world. This is what I have become to so many of them. I cannot, and will not let them down. I will lead us all into a beautiful and glorious new world, and they will celebrate its arrival with me."

"My, my." she says. "I'm fairly certain none of them would ever dare to say such things out in the open."

"Anonymity has a way of bringing out the innermost beliefs and desires of people." I tell her. "Deep down, we are all hurting. Even as our system persistently fails us, we sing its praises in public, because we're afraid of rebelling. We're afraid of being mocked for our ideals, and are humiliated into giving up our dreams of change, until we can't even speak our minds without surrendering our identities, lest we be found out. I won't let that happen to me. I won't back down from my mission. Kira will succeed."

"So, when are you announcing the press conference revealing Kira's true identity?" shoots Nazara. She must be joking.

"Don't be ridiculous, Nazara." I say. "You know perfectly well why I can't reveal my identity as Kira to anyone."

"But isn't that surrendering your identity, Anna? Don't you want to freely speak your mind?"

Her sarcasm is starting to annoy me. It is clear that she isn't taking any of this seriously.

"Why am I even talking to you about all this?" I say, exasperated.

"Because I'm the only one who you _can_ talk to about all this!" she says, with a cheeky smile.

"Yeah, you're right."

"But I don't have to be invested in your cause to be entertained by it." Nazara says, with her trademark mischieviousness. "For all you know, I'm just waiting for a powerful opponent to rise, one who will reject everything you stand for, and free the world from your tyranny!"

"You think what I'm doing is _tyranny?!"_ I say, my anger getting the better of me. It takes me a few seonds to calm down and realize that Nazara isn't really being serious. No, she just wants to be entertained. But that does leave open the possibility of her turning against me.

"Look, Nazara, you're the one who gave me this power to begin with, and for that I'm grateful." I say, "But you do not want to cross me."

"Or what? You're going to kill me, a Reaper? We're the _very agents_ of death, sweetheart."

"I can't have you sabotaging my mission, Nazara! This isn't just some kind of game to me!"

"Well then, you're in luck. I'm not going to sabotage your mission." she says.

"Is that so?"

"This isn't so much a game to me as it is a movie. And in the movies, all of the fun is in watching events play out by themselves." she says, with a wide smile. "Sure, I have my favorite characters from every movie and everything, but who am I to interfere with the way the movie turns out? If my favorite character dies, he dies. If the guys I absolutely loathe win, then they win. It's my lack of control, and the sheer unpredictability of the whole situation, that makes it so exciting to me. I don't know how your journey is going to turn out, Anna, and I don't want to interfere at all. I want to be surprised. I want to be shocked. I want my expectations toyed with again and again. And the best way to do that, is to just sit back and watch."

"Let's hope you stay that way." I say. I still don't think Nazara can be fully trusted, but it does make sense that she wouldn't want to manipulate events for her benefit. She wants to leave open the possibility of losing, of even suffering if she has to, because a sense of danger is one surefire way to keep yourself invested in something. She won't try to ruin my plans, no. My aim is to completely transform this world. It is a revolutionary tale, with a phenomenal happy ending waiting to happen. She has nothing to lose by letting me succeed.

"Okay, Nazara." I say, smiling. "Welcome to my movie."


	3. Chapter 3

It's been eight days since my meeting with Nazara.

Now she shadows my every move, tailing me to school and back. It isn't a particularly disruptive development; nobody can see or hear her, she keeps her mouth shut most of the time, and allows me to carry on my duties as high school student and Kira in peace, aside from the occasional wisecrack when we're alone.

What has been a disruptive development, however, is the rising media attention my work as Kira has been receiving. People everywhere, both within my school and out, are debating the morality and implications of my actions. Much of it is not pleasant to hear, though I really shouldn't be surprised. Some of the greatest people in history often faced tremendous resistance to their ideals and actions in their own lifetimes, but their legacy vindicated them. My biggest concern right now is whether or not I can survive to see my own vindication. I want to be there when the new world arrives. I want to reveal my true face to the people when they search for the one who brought them their salvation. I want to share in their happiness, and their joy, when they finally live in a world where the all-pervasive evil and horror of today is gone forever.

But soon enough, my enemies will look for me. And I don't know how far they will go to stop me. I need to stay ahead of them. I need to keep Kira alive, for the good of humanity at large.

To start with, I must accept the bitter reality that my family will start to interfere with my mission. My father is a homicide detective, sworn to uphold the law. He probably knows just as well as everybody else that all the recent deaths of the scum of the earth were deliberate. But right now, there is no way for him to investigate. He would never suspect me; I am his own daughter after all, and he has always been tremendously proud of me. But I know he will not accept my actions until they bear fruit. Once my mission is complete, I will explain everything to him, and he will understand. But as of now, I need to ensure he doesn't get in my way. I just hope I don't have to kill him in the process.

And as much as it hurts for me to accept this, the same goes for the rest of my family. None of them accept my deeds as noble or honorable in any manner. I have had to play along, pretending to despise Kira just as much as them. If I am to be found out at this stage, I may be forced to choose between my family and my mission. My mission comes first, of course, but can I carry on after killing my own mother? Or my big brother, Ben?

No. Of course I'll have to carry on. My mission is too important. Too vital to give up under any circumstances. But it won't come to that. My family will never discover me until it's time. Until they see for themselves what a wonderful future I have earned for them.

My brother's career as a software engineer has proven to be a major boon. He specializes in designing anti-virus and anti-malware programs. Which means he has a pretty good idea of how malware works. I have long listened to his lectures concerning his work mainly out of curiosity and enjoyment. We both share a passion for programming and hacking, though he is the obvious expert. But now, I will need to surpass him.

Fortunately, for now I have been able to reverse engineer a spyware program he had been researching, and I've tailored it to infect my father's computer without it being detected. I am hopeful that I'll be able to infiltrate most of the NYPD's databases and communications soon enough.

And thankfully, my efforts are already yielding results.

"Hmm...what do we have here?" Nazara says, looking over my shoulder.

"Communications between my father and a rookie on the force, Rick Matsuda. From the looks of it, a major manhunt for me is about to go underway."

"Even though you've been under their noses all along, in plain sight. I'm dying to see how the plot's going to thicken!"

"Well, they've decided to consult a Private Investigator on this case. Interpol is also getting involved, but I can't find any other leads as of yet."

My social media feed is suddenly flooded with messages regarding a live internationally broadcast press conference. And the conference is supposed to directly address the Kira case.

The manhunt for me is about to begin.

I immediately switch over to the press conference. It's set up inside a building which I recognize as the ICPO headquarters. The person standing in front of the camera is a young lady. She's wearing glasses, and has a grave expression on her face.

"My name is Officer Linda Taylor Whitely, also known as L." she says, in a distinctive high-pitched voice with a British accent. "And I am here to address the mass murderer who has recently taken the headlines by storm."

She's talking about me.

"Kira, I've looked over all the murders you've committed so far. People dying of apparently natural causes, like heart attacks, or in rarer cases, leprosy. However, the scale and frequency of these deaths make it clear to me that the internet legends are true, and that you are behind all of this."

She is right. She is absolutely right. But she can't prove any of this.

"I can see the pattern behind these attacks, and I've gotten a pretty good grasp on your motivations, Kira." she says.

So she knows why I'm doing all this. Not that I expect her to approve.

"You think having the ability to commit murder on such a massive scale makes you some sort of superhero, someone blessed with a godlike power to protect the weak."

The clear sarcasm in her tone, while unsurprising, is pissing me off.

"But make absolutely no mistake, Kira. What you're doing, is evil!"

A pause for dramatic effect. Clearly, she wants to sully my name as much as she can before setting her dogs on me. But I'm untouchable. I kill with a notebook. A notebook only I can access. A notebook I have guarded more closely than anything else in my life. A notebook that I could use to end her life right now.

And maybe I should. It seems pretty clear that she considers me an enemy. And she has the backing of the world's premier law-enforcement agencies. Her press conference is actually a declaration of war. A war on my mission. My mission to save this world. My mission to usher in an era of justice and peace!

For doing everything I can to uplift humanity to its ideal state, she calls me evil. She's just the spokesperson of the very people who can't withstand the revolution I'm bringing about, who'd much rather preserve all the evil and filth in this world than allow things to change.

They are the ones who are evil. And I will strike them down.

I promptly take out my Death Note and write down Linda Taylor Whitely's name. If they want a war, I will give it to them, and win.

Forty seconds later, Linda seizes and collapses, clutching her chest. She is dead.

"Well, well, well." another voice rings out. This one, however, is distorted. I can't recognize it. And then it hits me.

Linda Taylor Whitely did not organize this press conference.

"Look at you, Kira. Ms Linda says a few nasty words to you on live television, and you decide to kill her. Pretty childish of you, if I am to be honest. And as you've probably figured out by now, miss Linda Taylor Whitely wasn't in fact the one behind this press conference. In fact, she isn't even a member of the ICPO. She's a death row inmate who was scheduled to be executed today, and I went to great lengths to ensure that this fact was kept secret from the general public. As for me, the real L, well let's just say I'm someone dedicated to hunting down people too smart for the local law enforcement agencies. I have quite an exemplary record as a private investigator, and agencies like the NYPD and ICPO often consult me on their most difficult cases. Oh, and speaking of the NYPD, did you know that this press conference is only being broadcast in New York City at this time? Yeah, I lied about the whole worldwide broadcast thing, and was hoping that would eventually do the trick."

The bastard just narrowed down my location to this city. This press conference was nothing more than an elaborate trap, and I fell right into it.

"Oh, speaking of which, I wonder why I'm still alive. I do want to take you down after all, Kira, and we all just saw what you do to people who humiliate you on live television. But you know I'm the puppetmaster now. Why don't you kill me?"

Because you haven't revealed your name or shown your face.

"Hmm...it took Linda around forty seconds to die after she called you evil, which you totally are, just to be clear." The voice is taunting me, and insulting me at every opportunity. It knows it has won this round. "But I'm still alive after, let's see, 8 minutes and fifty seconds? Yeah, I don't think I have anything to worry about."

"And let's look at the timings of all the murders, shall we? All of them committed in the evenings on weekdays, and more flexibly on the weekends, going by New York City's time zone. Are you a high school student there, by any chance?"

I gasp in spite of myself.

"Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'll find out everything I need to in due time. This was just my first attempt to find you, after all. Hopefully, you'll slip up again and expose your arrogant, conceited, and yes, evil face to the entire world before getting sentenced to death. Execution would be a fitting end for you, considering what you've been doing these past few days, don't you think?"

I thought that I had struck a decisive blow to my enemies when I killed Linda Taylor. I thought I'd put them on the defensive, that they'd think twice about trying to come after me. Instead, the opposite has happened. I have been cornered, and I need to rethink how I'm going to continue my mission.

And I need to find a way to take this fucking private investigator out before he does any more damage to my cause.

"I think I've said enough for now, Kira. But make no mistake..."

"You may have won this time, you fucking Private Investigator, but rest assured..."

"I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

"I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

"Until next time, Kira." says the voice, and the broadcast ends. It's then that I realize that Nazara must be over the moon right about now. The plot has indeed thickened.

* * *

 _"L! L!"_

 _"Coming, Winona!" I reply, turning off the transmitter through which I just outwitted Kira. He does indeed seem to be an absolute piece of crap, but this is the most fun I've had with a case of mine since forever._

 _I wonder though, is Kira really a "he"?_

 _"Leave it to you to make fucking pajamas look like high-end fashion." Winona says, when I finally arrive downstairs. "You really should go out more often, the guys would be all over you."_

 _"You know I'm not into guys, Winona."_

 _"And I'm not into girls. A shame really, we'd have been a great lesbian couple."_

 _"Why do you have to bring sex into everything, Winona?"_

 _"Because I keep getting laid all the time, and seeing you all alone makes me pity you."_

 _"Yeah, well, I keep solving impossible cases all the time, and seeing you refuse to grow beyond your junior-high years makes me pity you."_

 _"So what? Are we both pitiful ladies, is that it, L?"_

 _"Pitiful ladies from a pitiful nation. We Brits used to rule the world, and look at where we are now!"_

 _"Aren't you currently trying to take down a mass murderer who wants to rule the world?"_

 _"Touche." I reply with a smile, and continue on to the bakery._


	4. Chapter 4

"So here's a little food for thought." I say to the people surrounding me. I should have known it would come to this. I did everything I could to stay ahead of them, but they were relentless. Useless fools, so comfortable with the way things are right now that they'll do anything to stop the world from changing, no matter how many others suffer as a result.

"You tricked George using the fake Death Note, didn't you, L?" I say, facing the bastard who's led the hunt for me. He stands right there, smug as ever. I'll wipe that smirk off his face. "That's how you implicated me and got me to confess. But then again, there's still the unanswered question of the notebook my father recovered from the lab."

The lab. The notebook that was there, I know it's a fake too. Dmitri had it made. But I dealt with him before they ever had a chance to find out. They have no way of knowing.

"Is it real?" I say with a smile. "Because the way I see it, the only possible basis you could have for arresting me would be to somehow prove that Death Notes actually exist. So, what is it going to be, L?" I face him directly. "Are you going to try me based solely on my confession? Why, I probably just meant it as a joke! Or maybe I was just covering for poor Georgie here this whole time, because I believed he was a poor mentally ill soul who bought into grand delusions of a non-existent notebook of death. You can't convict me based on what I just said, and you know it."

L isn't smiling anymore, but he doesn't look upset either. He's probably trying to work his way around the curveball I've just thrown him. But that's alright. I won't give him enough time.

"So, what's it going to be, L? Are you still going to stay loyal to the rule of law? Or are you going to write my name down and see for yourself how it feels to have that kind of power?"

L is doing his best to maintain his calm exterior, but I know I have him on the ropes now.

I check my watch one last time. Yes, it's all going according to plan.

"TIME'S UP!" I scream, promptly pressing the button on the watch that pops out the piece of the Death Note I had hidden inside. I pull out my pen, and begin scrawling down L's name. His real name.

A sharp pain shoots up my hand, and I can't hold the pen any longer. And I feel something pierce my abdomen.

I've been shot. Twice. I look up and see the shooter.

"Dad! No! I thought you'd understand!" I scream.

"What was I supposed to understand?" he says, enraged "How am I supposed to understand why you killed most of my friends? Why you led Ben, my son and your own brother, to his death?"

"I did this to PROTECT Ben!" I almost cry out. "Through no fault of their own, innocents like him are snatched up by the wicked every single day! I'm trying to create a world where people like him don't have to fear anything ever again!"

I need a distraction. My dad isn't understanding. He won't understand, I need to get away I need to...

L. I need to kill him.

My blood. I can still write down his name with my-

"AAAAAAAAH!" Another gunshot. I can't stand straight anymore.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you need to die!" my dad yells, rushing toward me with his gun at the ready. At the last moment, L pulls him back.

"L? But why...?"

"Because there's someone else who wants to kill you."

I then see her. That beautiful woman, walking towards me. Her smile seems to be loving and peaceful, but her eyes are full of malice and delight.

"It looks like you lose, Anna." Nazara says. "And I must confess, I was waiting for this moment to come. Because the one thing I've _always_ wanted to do was to end your life myself."

She then takes out her notebook and begins writing in it.

"No, no, Nazara, what are you doing?"

"Your time will be up in around 40 seconds, Anna." she says.

"No. Nazara, no! I can't die! I don't want to die! My work isn't finished yet, I don't want to die!"

"5, 6, 7, 8..." L is counting down. Counting down to my demise with that smile on his face.

"No, my mission! The new world! I'm supposed to led humanity into a new world! I can't die, I can't die!"

"You're just a serial killer, Anna." my dad says, coldly.

"14, 15, 16, 17..."

"No, Nazara, you've got to erase my name somehow, I don't want to die!"

Nazara is just smiling. She's killed me, hasn't she?

"NO! NO, PLEASE HELP ME! GEORGE! MOM! ANYBODY HELP ME, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

"37, 38, 39, 40."

I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to...

I wake up in her arms. She's cradling me. She's slept beside me. She knows.

I can hear Nazara laughing. Giggling, more like. Clearly, she finds my paranoia hilarious.

"Nazara." I say, my voice still shaky. "How much did you hear?"

"How much did I hear...of what, exactly?" she says. She's taunting me.

"My dream." I say, annoyed but also amused at the same time. "I am well aware of my tendency to talk in my sleep. It's one of the reasons my parents gave me my own room as soon as we moved here."

"Oh yeah. Now that you mention it, you were saying 'I don't want to die' a lot. And apparently, I was the one who killed you."

"Yeah." I say, chuckling. "Good thing it was a dream, though. If you really wanted me dead, you would have killed me already."

"That is true." she says, stroking my hair. I feel pretty aroused now that she's doing that, but I promptly push that impulse aside. "But anything can happen, you know. That's the whole fun of watching a movie, isn't it?"

"Sometimes you watch it for the predictability too, you know." I say. "Not everything needs to be a goddamn roller-coaster."

"Look, Anna, you're scared, I get that." Nazara says, looking me in the eye. "But that's part of the fun, isn't it? Now you know perfectly well what the stakes of your quest are, so just imagine how proud you'll be if you manage to win."

"Yeah." I say. "I think you're right, Nazara. This mission of mine really is proving to be a very dangerous and challenging one. But once I win, once I bring about the arrival of a beautiful new world, I'll look back on these times with pride. Because now that I know what I need to overcome to give humanity the future it deserves, I am more determined than ever to ensure that I succeed."

"That's the spirit!" Nazara says. "Now come on, go back to sleep. You know you must be at your best, if you want your mission to be a success."

"You're right." I say, wrapping my arms around her. Even though she's a Reaper who only cares about me as a source of entertainment, she's also the closest thing I have to a friend right about now. And for some reason I feel a lot more...comfortable whenever I'm sleeping next to her.

"Goodnight, Nazara." I say, with a smile.

"Goodnight, Anna." she replies. "And good luck." she adds, in her trademark mischievous tone.


	5. Chapter 5

_"What the hell are you talking about?"_

 _"You heard me. We gave you the defective artifact on purpose. We wanted Francis to succeed, not you."_

 _"So you used me? You took advantage of my dreams, and used me?!"_

 _"Your dreams were never going to count for anything, Lord Walder. Goodbye."_

 _And then Lord Walder gets his throat slashed. I smile and eat another tortilla chip as I watch. This show is starting to get really interesting. I'll be looking forward to next week's episode._

 _And then Winona barges in, an alarmed expression on her face._

 _That can only mean one thing-there's been a new development on the Kira case._

 _"You need to turn on the news." she says, walking towards me. "Kira's staging a suicide on live television."_

 _A suicide on live television? At this hour?_

 _I quickly switch over to the news. And sure enough, there's a woman on the screen. But she's already dead. Then, I see the camera pan over to the man holding it._

 _No way._

 _It can't be him._

 _"My name is Jeremy White. Two months ago, I was tried for assault and battery and attempted rape of my wife, Gina White, whose body you just saw now."_

 _Jeremy White. I'd been watching the man. I was considering tipping the NYPD off to his location. But Kira got to him first._

 _"Two weeks ago, I was cleared of all charges and acquitted. Two hours ago, I broke into my wife's house. Two minutes ago, I murdered her, and posted a video of said murder on the internet."_

 _Holy shit. This guy made a snuff film? I should have kept a closer watch. My God._

 _"But while the law-enforcement agencies are being made aware of my actions just now, Kira was able to discover what I had done as soon as the video was uploaded. Kira's efficiency and decisiveness in dealing with evil are second to none."_

 _It's then that it hits me. Kira's putting words into this guy's mouth. He's not himself anymore._

 _"I will now pay the price for my sins with my life. But I will not be alone. A schedule of deaths for the coming week has been prepared, and you will all witness Kira's magnificent power as the days go by. To all who oppose Kira and his quest for justice, he pleads with you to be allowed to carry on his duty of protecting and serving this beautiful world of ours. He has no quarrel with the innocent and kind-hearted of this world, but he cannot allow any interference with his mission."_

 _Even as he speaks, a SWAT team breaks into the building and restrains him. They think this is going to stop him from killing himself. They think they can save his life. But I know better._

 _"All hail Kira! All hail justice!" Jeremy yells, even as he is being handcuffed. And then, he collapses to the ground in pain. It looks like he's just had a heart attack._

 _And many more this week will share his fate._

 _My chat software just got an alert. It's Captain Kate O'Donnell of the NYPD._

 _I patch her through._

 _"L! Jeremy White! He just-"_

 _"I know, I've been watching the news myself."_

 _"Yeah, yeah, I...I tried to...I sent out the SWAT team, but..."_

 _"There was no saving him, Kate. You know as well as I do that Kira can hand-pick the cause of death for each of his victims. We can't prevent something we don't know anything about."_

 _"But...but Kira mostly uses heart attacks, doesn't he? Maybe we could call a doctor, try to study how to prevent them, or-"_

 _"Medical logic won't do us any good here, Captain. You know that as well as I do."_

 _A pause. "Yeah, you're right, but what do we do about the schedule of deaths? We can't just let people die like this!"_

 _"Captain, as far as I can tell, once Kira has decreed that someone die, that someone will die. There is no saving any of the people who've been marked for death next week."_

 _"Then what are we supposed to do?"_

 _"Observe. Check for patterns, similarities, anything that ties the deaths together. Hopefully, we'll be able to find common threads that lead us back to Kira."_

 _"That's it? That's all you can think of, L?!"_

 _"I'm afraid so, Kate. Kira is a killer unlike any I've ever dealt with before, so even I have to prepare my strategy for dealing with him from scratch. That is something that is neither a quick nor an easy task."_

 _"I know, I know, and I'm sorry." Kate says. "But as long as these killings go on, how am I supposed to keep anyone safe? How can I keep doing my job?"_

 _"The way I see it, Kira wants to take all of our jobs for himself, so we'll all be out of business if he gets his way. Remember, if you ever consider giving up, you'll be doing exactly what he wants you to do."_

 _"You're telling me. Just yesterday, all but four of my precinct's detectives resigned. Kira's got them running scared."_

 _"I'm not surprised. Everyone of them's identified their names and shown their badges at some point. Not to mention that their identities are recorded in your databases."_

 _"Are...are you saying that Kira can access our databases?!"_

 _"I don't know, Kate. I'm sorry."_

 _"I see. Well, let's hope Kira didn't decide to kill anyone from the NYPD. Do you think that he would?"_

 _"No, I think it's unlikely as of now. Kira would probably prefer to intimidate us first. But the more we keep chasing him, the more we're putting ourselves in danger."_

 _"You're being very inspirational today, aren't you L?"_

 _"I'm just here to give you the facts, Captain. Motivating you is not my responsibility."_

 _"I understand. Goodbye, L." Kate says, and logs out. While I was able to see her face, and the office she was in, she wasn't able to see me at all, and she only heard a distorted rendition of my voice. Winona is the only one who works directly with me, and even she doesn't know my real name. But that's alright, she's been a great friend of mine regardless._

 _"L, I've got the director of the FBI on the line. He's ready to speak to you." she says, bringing her laptop towards me._

 _"Good call, Winona. Now probably is the best time to talk to him." I had set up a meeting with the director for next week, but Winona's decided to fast-track it. That's one thing I really like about her; her ability to take the initiative at precisely the right moments._

 _"Yes, L." director Smith Wessen says. "Why did you decide to fast-track our meeting to today?"_

 _"Because I can't afford to dawdle on a case like this, and neither can you, Mr Smith."_

 _"Then let's cut to the chase. What do you want?"_

 _"I want you to set up tabs on all of the detectives in the list I am forwarding to you."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because they were working alongside me in trying to hunt down Kira. However, recent events have led me to believe there may be a leak he's been exploiting. I need you to investigate these officers, and their families and friends. If we're lucky, we might discover Kira to be among them."_

 _"You're asking for a lot, L."_

 _"You know as well as I do, director, that this is one case where everybody is a suspect. We need to exhaust every single possibility if there is to be any chance of capturing Kira."_

 _"So, am I a suspect too?"_

 _"Of course, although you're not very high up my list. But I might have to change my mind about you if you don't follow through with what I'm telling you to do."_

 _"Alright, L. I'll do as you say. But remember, any blowback from this is on your ass."_

 _"I understand, director." I reply. He logs out._

 _"So, how'd the meeting go?" Winona asks me a few minutes later, as we're watching television together. She's sitting up straight, and I'm lying down with my head on her lap. As usual._

 _"He's going to begin his investigation of the NYPD like I asked him to."_

 _"And what are you going to do next?"_

 _"Keep building up the pressure. I'm going to take this case one step at a time. Sooner or later, that bastard Kira's going to screw up. And I'll be there when he does."_

 _"L, I'm worried about you." she says, sounding pretty damn worried._

 _"I'll be alright, Winona,"_

 _"You always say that."_

 _"And I mean it. Just because I have a habit of taking on dangerous cases doesn't mean I'm suicidal. I know how much you care about me, Winona. That's why I try to be so cautious."_

 _"Really?" she says, sounding surprised. I realize that we've never really discussed the issue of my reclusiveness until now._

 _"Yeah. Ever since you came into my life, I've realized just how important it is to keep carrying on. I never thought much of myself, and I never really cared whether or not I lived or died, until I met you."_

 _Winona stays silent, processing the gravity of what I've just told her._

 _"I'm not going to leave you, Winona. Under any circumstance." I say, and hold her hand._

* * *

"Hmm...so this glass box is where you'll keep the Death Note." Nazara says.

"Yes. And..." I reply, dropping the notebook inside the box, which is also filled with gasoline. I then connect it to the electrical circuit I've finished wiring up. "This will set the notebook on fire if anyone doesn't have my key."

The electric circuit is attached to a wooden board. That wooden board is connected to the false bottom of my drawer, wherein my other diary is kept.

"And what is this?"

"This is my 'real' diary, the one everybody knows about. It's in a standard drawer with a standard key. The false bottom, on the other hand, has another key." I take out an unassuming pen refill from my pen tray. "Specifically, this one."

"So, you insert the refill into the false bottom's keyhole, and then you can lift up the board without setting it on fire."

"Correct!" I say with a smile. "This key will prevent the circuit from completing, and as long as the board is attached to the false bottom, the rubber insulation of the bottom will prevent the circuit from completing. If anyone screws up and uncovers this board without my key, they'll set the drawer on fire, destroying the Death Note. Since you'll wipe my memories of using it when that happens, I can honestly say that I had no idea what the hell just happened. People will just give up and chalk it up as an unexplained mystery."

"But if that happens, won't you be giving up on your mission?" Nazara asks.

"If anyone discovers this Death Note, my mission is as good as failed. At least if the notebook is destroyed, you can give me another one and refresh my memory." I say, with a knowing smile.

"And if I don't?"

"Then I spend the rest of my life a shadow of my current self." I say. "I am well aware that my quest to clean up this world could be botched by circumstances outside of my control. In which case, I'll just have to focus on my own self-preservation and find another way of helping this world's people."

"I must say, you're going to pretty great lengths to protect your Death Note. This security measure of yours could set the entire house on fire."

"What can I say? It's a dangerous mission I've taken up." I reply, with a flippancy that surprises me. My life really has been transformed ever since the Death Note, and Nazara, showed up.


	6. Chapter 6

It's when I'm shopping at the electronics store that I first see her.

A pretty woman, looking to be a few years older than me, browsing some books at the store nearby.

I don't really know what it is that caught my eye. Maybe it's the leather jacket. I've always had a thing for those, both on men and on women. And she really carries hers off well. Elegant, but understated.

Maybe it's the expression on her face. She looks to be studying the book in her hand rather intensely. And the book is a detective novel. Ah, so she's a fan of detective fiction? Interesting.

Maybe it's the way she flicks her hair off when it gets too close to her eyes. Those gestures have always been a major turn-on for me in the movies, and she happens to make a pretty damn good approximation of them.

Whatever be the case, a potent cocktail of lust and fascination has ensured that I can't take my eyes off her.

"You really are a pervert, Anna." Nazara says, snidely.

"Don't judge people based on their feelings. Judge them by how they act on them."

"You don't need to tell me that. I know how many rapists you've killed."

"But I don't just write down the names of freaking anybody who dares to ogle at an attractive person now, do I?"

"No, you don't. So, how do you want to play this?"

"The only way I know how." I walk right up to the woman, and tap her shoulder. She turns around and faces me, understandably startled.

"Hi!" I say. "I couldn't help but notice you've really taken an interest in that book. Do you mind if I take a look?"

Her expression softens instantly. "Oh, of course not." she says with a smile, and hands me the book. Hmm...

 _"The Raven's Cry."_ I say, reading the title. "You know, I've heard of this book before."

"You have?" she replies.

"Yeah. I've actually read a few titles of the author J.C Collins before. He writes good stuff."

"I see. A friend actually recommended I check it out a while ago, but I forgot all about it until I saw it here."

"Oh. Well, I don't think it could hurt to give it a shot." I say, smiling. "And maybe they've got more books by J.C Collins as well. Come on, I'll tell you which ones are good."

We then browse the stands for some more works by J.C Collins. I convince her to pick up all the books that I recommend, including some that are not by that specific author. She lightly protests that I'm putting too much of a strain on her bank account, but I know she's only joking, and we gleefully head to the checkout line.

"Thanks for all the recommendations!" she says, as we walk out of the store. "I'll be looking forward to going through them this week!"

"So, uh," Okay, Anna. Time to make your move. "Are you headed home now?"

"Yeah, I kind of was. But I'm in no hurry, really."

"In that case," I say, smiling. "How about you take a cup of coffee with me?"

Her expression grows a little awkward. Uh-oh, looks like she's read my mind.

"I," she begins hesitantly, trying to say what needs to be said. "I appreciate the way you feel. Seriously, I do. But I'm not, you know, interested in..."

"Oh! Oh, it's alright!" I say, smiling bashfullly. "It's perfectly fine, really!"

"No, no, it's not just that." she says. "I'm also engaged, actually. And there's an age difference between you and me in any case, so..."

"Well, well, well. There goes your chance, Anna." Nazara says, with her usual mischief.

She's right. There's no way I can pursue this woman any further. Not romantically at least.

But something tells me I should keep her around anyway. And so far, my instincts haven't been wrong.

"Oh, it's alright! But how about we go have a coffee anyway? I'm perfectly alright with just being your friend, you know."

"Oh." she says, and chuckles. "Well in that case, come with me. I know a nice place off Madison Avenue."

I follow the woman over to the coffee shop, when she mentions something that's been on my mind as well.

"You know, I never got your name." she says to me.

"Oh, right! I'm Anna Akame!" I say.

"Anna Akame? Hmm...that name sounds familiar."

My name sounds familiar? A pang of anxiety quickly hits me, before fading off just as fast.

"Oh yeah! You're the daughter of NYPD detective Harrison Akame, right? And you're also a New York Times College Scholarship holder! A pleasure to meet you!" she says, excitedly.

Whoa, this woman knows a fair deal about me already. My instincts were right after all, I do need to keep her close.

"Wow, you seem to know quite a bit." I say.

"Yeah, well, I know someone who used to work with your dad. And I keep an eye on the New York Times College Scholarship list every year."

"Why?"

"I was actually selected for one myself when I was in high school. It opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I also knew some of my juniors who applied, but none of them made it. Other than that, I don't really know." she says, giggling. "It's just some dumb hobby of mine."

"Yeah, I have my fair share of those too." I say, and once upon a time, it would have been true. But my duties as Kira have taken up so much of my time. I've only just decided to take a complete break, which was one of the reasons why I scheduled all of this week's deaths in advance. Come to think of it, one of those deaths will happen in a few minutes. It'll be interesting to see her reaction to it.

"By the way, what's your name?" I ask. Once I have this, she'll no longer pose any kind of threat to me.

"Oh, yeah! It's Yvonne Panabaker!"

"Yvonne Panabaker. I'm afraid that name doesn't ring any bells."

"And it probably won't either." she says, slyly. "I used to be in the FBI."

That hits me like a punch to the gut. A Federal Agent. I've just befriended a former Federal Agent.

Of course, my horror at the revelation doesn't show. Besides, I still have her name.

"Wow, former FBI! I must say, I think we both just impressed the hell out of each other!"

"Yeah, that we did!" she says, with a laugh. "You never really know the kind of people you might run into in life, do you?"

Oh, you have no idea, Yvonne. "You got that right!" Is what I say.

We finally arrive at the coffee shop, and find an empty pair of seats with ease.

And, as luck would have it, a nearby television set is playing a news broadcast of the arsonist I just killed.

"Klavier Hernandez, an arsonist sentenced to life in prison without parole, was found dead just recently in his cell. He scrawled a message on the wall in his own blood reading..."

I see Yvonne's eyes dart towards the TV, and her expression instantly goes somber. After a few seconds, though, the waiter arrives at the table, breaking her reverie.

"Oh, I'll take a cafe latte with sugar!" I say.

"And espresso for me. Black." says Yvonne.

As the waiter takes the order and leaves, I decide to begin my probe.

"Hmm...you seem pretty interested in the news."

"Yeah. Old habits die hard, I guess." she says with a chuckle, before turning serious. "But this Kira is one hell of an enigma. I've never seen a murderer who works the way he does."

I take the backhanded compliment in my stride, and chime in "Yeah, I see your point. No conventional killer could ever have accomplished what he did."

"Yeah, this bastard's a tough one." she says, and I see her eyes lighting up. "Maybe Kira's actually some massive shadowy organization, which has connections stretching out to every single prison, coffee shop and hospital in existence. But I find that theory a little too far-fetched."

"Oh? Why is that?" I ask. I need to test her caliber. I need to assess how much of a threat she could be to me.

"I think L's initial theory was correct." Yvonne continues. "I think Kira is in fact a high-school student in New York City."

"Oh. But isn't Kira's schedule becoming a little more varied these days?"

"It is." she says, with an excited smile that's reminiscent of the kind people give in police procedurals when they're about to crack a case. But she can't crack this case that easily. I've been far too careful for that.

"But," she continues. "The initial pattern didn't break until after L insinuated that Kira was a high-schooler. And we're seeing variations in the murders that were pretty much nonexistent before. Dying declarations, messages written in blood, Kira's only just started doing all of this!"

I barely notice the cups of coffee that have been laid on the table.

"I think that Kira's an amateur killer, still adjusting his M.O in a very reactive fashion." she continues, sipping her coffee. I should probably feel a little terrified at how passionate she is about this case, but I feel a sense of admiration instead. Intelligent, enthusiastic people like her are what make this world such a fun place to be in. In a sense, she's the perfect fit for my ideal society. If only she wasn't so eager to catch me. If only she could understand what I was fighting for.

"Everything we've been seeing this past week has been in retaliation to the stunt L pulled in that televised broadcast last Tuesday. Kira's trying to prove that he's more powerful than we think he is, but here's the thing. Kira's more powerful than even _he_ thinks he is. He hasn't mastered his own tools of murder as of yet. The change in the patterns is too deliberate, as if he's taking things one step at a time. So yes, Kira's patterns don't fit into the schedule of the typical NYC high-schooler any more. But that's only because he's just started with experimenting on how to break out of them. Every murder is a novel one these days. There's no consistency in his method at all. But there was plenty of consistency in his earlier murders, which is why the NYC high-schooler theory is the best one we have right now!"

I nod my head in approval. I can see that she isn't finished yet.

"I also think that Kira's made inroads into the investigation against him, somehow." she continues, "He's acting too brazenly, too confidently, especially after L's broadcast. The fact that he resumed his murder spree a mere two days after it happened tells me that he's almost unafraid of the authorities, which means he must be having a pretty good idea as to how the investigation's going. He knows that the police aren't anywhere close to identifying him as of yet, which is why he's freely terrorizing everyone instead of bunkering down. Now, we just need to take a look at high-schoolers related to the people still working on the investigation. Many of them have families, but since the spate of killings have occurred even after Friday's mass resignation scandal, but no, no, the FBI is still involved, I'll need to count them in as well, hmm..." she says, turning her head up to face me. "It'll still take some time to figure out exactly which agency Kira's connected to, since the hunt for him started out as a collaborative effort right from the beginning. But," she says with another smile, "In the meantime, I've figured out what Kira's first possible murders were."

It is then that I notice we've already finished our coffee, and the news broadcast has moved on to other matters. To my utter surprise, we haven't been asked to leave.

"You remember the hostage situation at McCarthy High School? The one which happened last month?"

"Yeah. The gunman died of a heart attack, didn't he?"

"Yes. And then there was Harley Donahue, an enforcer of the NYC chapter of the Damned Warriors biker gang, who died in a road accident. And then, after quite a few hours of quiet, the first mass murdering spree of the world's major criminals begins."

I immediately see where she's getting at. "Those were the only criminals who died in New York City that day."

"Yes!" she says, "On the day Kira's killing spree began, the only two criminals who died in NYC were these people! That day, those murders, are where this all began!"

I am very conflicted at this point. On one hand, Yvonne's analysis of my actions has provided me with invaluable feedback with regards to what I'm doing wrong. On the other hand, she is a former FBI agent who's taken a dangerously high level of interest in my case.

I need to ask her a few more questions.

"You are amazing, Yvonne! I've had so much fun talking to you about the Kira case!"

"Why, thank you!" she says, "You've been a great listener as well."

"Well, I've been pretty obsessed with the case too, actually. Somehow cracking it on my own's become a bit of a pipe dream for me."

"That's nice to hear. I see you're taking after your father to quite a degree."

"Oh, believe me, Yvonne." I say, mock-pompously. "I will be a greater detective than my father ever was!"

She completely falls for my joke and begins laughing.

Good. Now that I have her guard down...

"But seriously, I think you could be of great help to the case. I don't know why you retired from the FBI. You don't even look that old."

"Yeah, I get that sometimes." she says with a smile. "I've worked with the FBI for four years, from 2010, when I was 24 to now, when I'm 28. I actually quit just three months ago."

"Oh. But you never told me why."

"It's because I fell in love." she replies. "My fiancee's actually a member of the FBI too. He's been assigned to the Kira case just yesterday, as a matter of fact."

Interesting. Very interesting.

"We both met after we joined the agency, and just kind of fell for each other." she says wistfully. "After we got engaged, I decided to resign from the agency so that I'd have more time to raise a family. He chose to keep his job."

"Ah. Who is your fiancee, by the way?"

Her expression suddenly becomes rather uncomfortable, and I realize that I've gone too far.

"You know what? Forget I asked. I'm sorry. I should have known better, with the Kira case being so dangerous and everything."

"It's okay!" she says with a smile. "Look, I've had a really good time with you, Anna. But let's face it, we just met each other."

"I know, I know." I reply.

Time to make a decision. Do I keep her alive, and continue my relationship with her? Or do I write her name down and dispose of her before she starts causing me any serious problems?

No, killing her at this stage would be short-sighted. Rash. Her husband is involved in the Kira case. She won't tell me his name. But if I kill her, he'll know it was me. He'll be motivated.

But if I keep her alive, I can keep getting her inputs on the Kira case. Every word she tells me will help me cover my tracks. Every second we spend together will bring me closer and closer to the Kira investigation.

The decision is a simple one. I'll continue being Yvonne's friend. And I'll have to make her trust me. I'll have to demonstrate as firmly as possible to her that I am on her side, and against Kira's.

I'll have to take a risk.

"But you know, my father is actually involved in the Kira investigation as well." I say.

"Oh, really?" she says, pleasantly surprised. Good. Surprised is good.

"Yeah, really. And I really think you should be more involved in the investigation, Yvonne. Your input would be invaluable in cracking the case."

"I, I don't know," she says. "My fiancee doesn't want me getting too close to the case. He thinks it's too dangerous."

"But what do you think, Yvonne? Do you think it's worth sacrificing your potential as an investigator for your fiancee's sake?"

It takes her just a few seconds to answer.

"No. No, I can't just stand idly by when I could be helping people in trying to stop this mass-murderer. I am an investigator. This is what I'm made for. This is what I do best. I need to join the Kira investigation."

"Okay, then, Yvonne. I can call my father right now, and tell him to speak to you. Do you want that?"

"Yes." she replies. "Do it."

A few minutes later, she's talked with my father and promised to show up at the police station tomorrow. Then, she calls her fiancee, and has a slightly more confrontational conversation wherein she insists on joining the Kira investigation team. By the time she's done, she informs me that she's going to be actively investigating the Kira case from tomorrow onwards. She heartily thanks me for everything I've done, and promises to stay in touch.

"You can take my number too, you know. If there is anything on your mind, you can talk to me about it without hesitating." I say to her.

"Thank you." she says with a smile. I then give her my number.

"I look forward to seeing what you bring to the table, Yvonne." I say, as we leave the coffee shop and begin our walk back home. "I'm glad I convinced you to join the Kira investigation."

"So am I. I've been obsessing over this case ever since L got involved. But I wonder." she says, turning to me. Her expression is one of pure curiosity and inquisitiveness. Not a trace of suspicion to be seen.

"Why did you convince me to join the Kira investigation team, Anna? I can see that this case clearly means a lot to you. Could you tell me why?"

"It's because I have a strong sense of justice." I begin. "I want a world where people don't have to live in fear of those who would hurt them, or abuse them. I want a world where the wicked are always held accountable for their actions."

"Kira is the antithesis of everything I believe in." I continue my lie, "A murderous, shadowy figure who abuses his power at will. Clearly, he only wants a world where he can get away with anything. I can't accept that."

"Hmm...it's interesting that you say that, you know," she says, smiling.

"How so?"

"I heard what L said about Kira during his press conference, and my fiancee also discussed Kira's motivations with him. He believes Kira to be some sort of misguided superhero, so lost in his own arrogance and desperation to save the world that he's turned into a murderous monster himself. I think I agree with him."

So she does understand. At least, to a certain degree. But like L, she doesn't approve. She can't withstand all the changes that need to be made to save this world. She'd prefer that things remain as they are.

What a shame.

"Hmm...I thought you hated Kira's guts, Yvonne."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. His actions are absolutely reprehensible, and I do want him captured and executed. But I also think about the idealist he probably used to be, and wonder if things would have been different if he hadn't been corrupted the way he was."

"I see." I say. "Looks like my house is just a couple of blocks ahead. See you, Yvonne."

I walk a few steps away from her, when I hear her shout.

"Anna, wait!"

I turn back and see her run towards me.

"I...I want to apologize. I haven't been completely honest with you today."

"What do you mean?"

"You know that name I gave you? Yvonne? It's not my actual name. It's an alias."

Oh my word. Now I _definitely_ know my plan's working.

"I understand. You were being cautious, it makes sense."

"I know, but after everything you've done for me, Anna," she says, "I think the least I can do for you is be honest from now on. I'm not going to lie to you about anything ever again."

"Oh, well, I'm glad to hear that." I say, smiling.

"My real name is Naomi. Naomi Misora." she says, stretching out her hand. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Anna Akame."

"Likewise, Naomi Misora." I reply, and shake her hand.

"We'll see each other again, Anna. I'm proud of you." Naomi then lets go of my hand and walks away.

Jackpot!


	7. Chapter 7

Consistency. I need consistency.

Or do I? Should I really be so hung-up on the accuracy of Naomi's theory? Even if people try to investigate NYC high-schoolers with connections to the investigation, the list is actually surprisingly big. The mass resignations of the NYPD detectives is in fact the first real dent I've made in the number of investigators after me. Counting in all the people working for the FBI and Interpol, there are many, many high-schoolers other than me who've been implicated by her logic.

No. Her getting involved in this investigation won't do any real damage unless I give her something more to go on. Which is why I must be cautious, and take things slowly. I got Naomi into this investigation to gain her trust. All I need to do now is to maintain it.

In the meantime, I should probably think about what to do with the results of my last week's experiments with the Death Note.

After writing down my target's name, I have 6 minutes to work out the details of his death. If my description of his death is incomplete in any manner, the cause of death will be a heart attack.

I can make my targets do whatever I want them to do prior to killing them, with a few exceptions. I cannot make them violate the laws of nature and science in any manner; trying to do so will also result in death by heart attack. I also cannot force them to interact with other people unless both I and the target know their name and face, and the person is available in the immediate vicinity.

That is also the reason why I can't orchestrate any chain-murders or indirect murders using the Death Note. I must know the name and face of every single person I kill.

Other than that, the Death Note is very flexible in accommodating the timing of my killings. I can set practically any date or time I want to for a designated death to happen in. Even the location of death has some flexibility. If my descriptions aren't specific enough to result in clear violations of natural law, I can set some parameters for someone's location of death.

What really gets my hopes up, though, is the confirmation of my suspicion that I could tear out pages from the Death Note and use them to their full effect, provided I don't destroy the notebook's cover and binding in the process. Such a strategy is going to prove invaluable in case I have to deal with unforeseen developments or deviate from any established plans, and I now carry some pages from the Death Note everywhere I go.

I've also developed a daily habit of going out for a walk. A nice, quiet walk works wonders in clearing my head, and allows me to cope with the stress of being Kira and carrying out my mission to create a perfect world. The streets around my house are either deserted or populated by apathetic strangers, allowing me to converse with Nazara in peace.

Hmm...my cellphone's ringing. Who could it be?

Elaine? Huh, why would she call me?

"Hello!" I say, taking the call.

"Hey, Anna! How's it going!"

"I'm doing pretty well, Elaine. Thanks for asking."

Elaine chuckles at my answer, "Yeah, same here. Anyway, I called to invite you to my birthday party. It's happening three days from now."

"Oh, your birthday's coming up? It just slipped my mind, Elaine, I'm so sorry."

"Hey, we all let things slip by. No need to apologize!" she says, with another chuckle. "But I want you to come. You're meeting me and everyone else at the Starbucks across from your street by 7 p.m, got it?"

"Yeah, got it. I'll see you there!"

"Glad to hear it, Anna. Bye!" Elaine says, and hangs up.

"Hmm, who is this Elaine?" Nazara speaks up. "You've never told me about her."

"Oh, I haven't? She's a friend of mine. We study in the same class. She even beat me to become the junior Prom Queen last year."

"Junior prom what?"

"Nazara, I'm disappointed in you." I say. "Don't you spend most of your time spying on us and observing our ways? How can you not know what a Prom Queen is?"

Nazara's silent for a few minutes, and then her face lights up.

"Aha! The Prom's that cheesy dance party you high-schoolers always have, isn't it? And most high-schools even choose a Prom King and Queen. Even your movies are obsessed with Prom Nights."

"That is true." I say, smiling. "But they really are a lot of fun. Though some girls just get so ridiculously competitive whenever Prom Night comes up."

"You know, I'd figure you as a very competitive person too, Anna."

"I am. But not for silly things like becoming Prom Queen. Prom's just a great way to have fun and hang out with your friends."

"I don't think most of your friends would look at you the same way if they knew who you really are, though, Anna."

There she goes again, trying to get on my nerves.

"I didn't become Kira to impress my friends, Nazara. I became Kira because it's the right thing to do." I say, my cheerful demeanor having disappeared completely.

"But you do enjoy the company of your friends, don't you? You care about them, just like you care about your family. But you know perfectly well that they could end up getting in your way."

"And if they do, I'll deal with them. But they aren't going to. I'll make sure of that."

"Wow, Anna, look at you. Switching from a carefree girl to a cold strategist at the drop of a hat. Humans really are very interesting and complicated creatures."

"That they are, Nazara. That they are." I say, my smile returning.

"And yet you've decided to be the judge of the lot of them, haven't you?"

"It has to be done. People need to be held accountable for their actions. That's the only way we can be saved."

"If you say so, Anna." she says with a smile. "If you say so."

We then walk along the pavement for a fair amount of time, before she speaks up again.

"Anna. I think we're being followed."


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you sure we're being followed?"

"Who are you talking to, Anna?" Nazara shoots back. "I'm a Reaper that nobody but you can see, and I follow you around all the time. I can easily double-back and check for any stalkers that you may have."

"Yeah, I see your point." I say. So I'm being followed. I should assume the worst about this development.

"I'm probably being investigated with regards to the Kira case. My stalker's likely fingered me for a possible suspect."

"Oh? This in spite of everything you've done to throw off suspicion?"

"Well, clearly people are buying into the theory of Kira being an NYC high-schooler. I don't know if it's L or Naomi who brought that idea forward, but that's not important. What is important is that I don't further implicate myself in any way."

So the authorities decided to turn things up a notch in their hunt for Kira. But I am far from the only one who's fallen under their net. I'll first need to observe my stalker's patterns. Nazara should be sufficient for that. Then I'll know what changes to make in my routine.

"Nazara, could you be a dear and brief me on how far my stalker's willing to tail me?"

"And, why should I?"

"Because I'm a wonderful friend to you and such a fun person to be around?"

"You've made your case, Anna."

Nazara continues to brief me on my stalker's position as I finish up my afternoon routine of purchasing the groceries, window-shopping at the electronics store, and heading home.

The patterns are laughably predictable. My stalker, who happens to be a guy, stays about a hundred metres behind me at all times and periodically reports his status. Whenever I enter a building, he stakes out the entrance of said building until I come out.

I wonder what he'll do once I head home for the night. Will he do the same, or will he continue staking me out from his car?

The latter, it turns out. It's a pretty futile effort, really. I can _easily_ conceal my activities as Kira from this guy. But I can't stand idly by and allow people to become this intrusive towards my life. Heck, they could be stalking my entire family for all I know.

So, how do I hit back? Well, talking to someone connected to this investigation might be a good idea. Maybe I should tell my father?

But my father probably doesn't know that this is going on. He'd never approve a proposal to have his own daughter be stalked. Or would he?

No, no, of course he wouldn't! I'm his own goddamn daughter for crying out loud! No, if I tell him, he'll be infuriated of course, but just as clueless about the whole situation as I am.

But if my theory is correct, and the reason for all this stalking is what I think it is, then Dad will probably turn the entirety of the NYPD on L's sorry ass for what he's tried to pull.

Good. L's boneheaded scheme might actually work in my favor after all. He's trying to investigate the very people who are investigating the Kira case because he knows that I have inside information regarding the Kira investigation. He's looking for leaks.

But who is he using for these meta-investigations? And who all are being investigated? Logically speaking, anybody who's been involved in the manhunt against me from the day of L's broadcast until now could be a potential suspect. That includes personnell from the NYPD, Interpol, the FBI and the ICPO. My gut tells me that L's using the FBI. Naomi told me about her fiancee being assigned to the Kira case just recently. Why wasn't he involved in it from the very beginning? Is it because this whole meta-investigation's started just recently?

Anyways, I should probably talk to Naomi as well. If her fiancee really is involved in Operation Stalker, my knowledge of it should spook him and the rest of the operatives well and good.

But then, if the killings continue, what's stopping them from coming at me even harder the next time around?

No, no, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now, a nice little PR disaster between L and the investigators is exactly what I need. The less they trust each other, the less time they have to focus on the case.

And the greater the chances become of L either coming out of hiding, or ceasing the investigation altogether.

I was thankfully able to get Naomi's number after she called me yesterday on her own accord. Because she needed help with a crossword puzzle. She says solving crosswords helps her sharpen her deductive reasoning skills.

Yeah, she definitely does have her quirks.

"Hello?" I hear Naomi's voice say after I dial her number.

"Hey, Naomi, it's Anna."

"Hey, Anna. What's up?"

"I feel a little awkward telling you this, but...um...I think I'm being stalked by someone."

"What?"

"Yeah, throughout today I got this feeling that somebody was tailing me. I think they're still observing me from their car. It's really creeping me out."

"Oh, okay. Anna, have you told anyone else about this? Your parents, or your brother?"

"No, not yet. I'm just feeling really uncomfortable right now, and I needed someone to talk to, so..."

"It's okay, Anna, it's alright. I'm here for you, okay? And so is your family. Nothing's going to happen to you."

"I know, Naomi, I know. It's just...I'm really just scared."

"I understand, Anna. And I'll do everything I can to help you out, alright? If you really are being stalked, I'll find some way to deal with whoever it is. In the meantime, I suggest you tell your parents about this, okay? There's no shame in being open about such things."

"Okay, Naomi, okay. I...I understand."

"Look, if it's too much of an issue for you, I can talk to your father myself. Would that be okay with you?"

"I...I..." I'm really hamming it up now. Feigning all this fear and paranoia comes surprisingly easily to me. And I realize that letting her talk to Dad for me might be a good idea in this case.

"It's alright, Anna. It's alright."

I take a few seconds to 'calm down' before telling her.

"I...think that would be best, Naomi. I just can't...I just..."

"I understand, Anna. I was pretty distant from my parents too when I was you age." A pause, followed by an awkward chuckle. "Thanks for calling me and telling me about this. Remember, I'm here for you. You can talk to me about absolutely anything, got it?"

"Got it, Naomi. And thank you."

"Don't mention it. You'll be alright, you hear me? I'm going to talk to your dad right after hanging up."

"Okay. Bye, Naomi." I say, in my choked-up voice, and hang up.

The next day, my mother insists on dropping me to school and picking me up. She refuses to let me outside of the house alone. My brother also comes back from work early so that he can check up on me. My dad awkwardly tells me that he and Naomi are looking into the case of my mysterious stalker.

And I schedule another handful of deaths once I get enough time to myself. This time, I've decided that my schedule should resemble that of Doctor Reggie Summers, a doctor whom I saw in a televised documentary a few months ago, wherein he outlined his own weekly schedule in painstaking detail. I'm really hoping that people pick up on the reference and start suspecting _him_ as Kira. It'll be amusing to see how that pans out.

And the next day, my stalker is gone completely. Even Nazara can see absolutely no signs of anyone tailing me. Good. Now what are you going to do, L?

* * *

 _"So, how did it go?" says Winona, with her predictably devious grin._

 _"You know perfectly well how it went." I reply, bitterly, not in the mood for jokes._

 _"But you have to admit, L. The director of the FBI really dropped the ball, didn't he?"_

 _"We all fucking dropped the ball. Spying on civilians is a controversial idea under any sort of circumstance, and I left the job to complete amateurs to carry out. And once that teenage girl began complaining about it, no wonder everyone wanted my head."_

 _"Her name was Anna Akame, right?"_

 _"Yeah. She told her father, NYPD's Harrison Akame, about the surveillance team the Feds had set up. And once they confirmed what was going on, the entire NYPD flipped me the bird."_

 _"Well, what did you expect? You were spying on them even while they were helping you in the investigation."_

 _"Well, I didn't hear any complaints from you when I first brought up this plan, did I?!_ _"_

 _"I didn't think you'd fuck up its execution so badly."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"But you know why I'm not upset, L? It's because you're L. You discover clues in everything."_

 _"That I do, I suppose."_

 _But all I can think of right now is how Anna Akame fucked everything up for me. Stupid teenage girls._


	9. Chapter 9

_Anna Akame._

 _The girl who ratted out my investigation, and in the process completely derailed my relationship with the NYPD. The ICPO would be pretty pissed too if I hadn't chosen to delay investigating them until I was done with the NYPD. Not to mention the FBI agents that were investigating the Kira case. Not only are they pissed at me, they're also mad at the colleagues who spied on them._

 _The NYPD is the most likely place for a leak, though. Since Kira at the very least started from New York City, the NYPD would be best equipped to carry out a focused investigation there. I was using the other agencies to account for the possibility that Kira may have left New York City at some point. Or that my initial theory was wrong to begin with._

 _But it was my investigation of the NYPD that got exposed. And the girl who ended up exposing it just happens to be the daughter of one of the few NYPD detectives still trying to catch Kira._

 _Isn't that convenient?_

 _"Don't tell me you're still obsessing over that Anna girl." Winona says. She has a penchant for reading my thoughts._

 _"Well, her actions have worked out in Kira's favor. To a massive degree as well, I might add."_

 _"I can't argue with that." she says. "The public seems to be way more pissed at our-I mean your-flagrant attempt at violating the privacy of American citizens than about anything Kira has done."_

 _For a girl who's supposed to be my best friend, Winona sure does love to mock me. "Of course they are." I reply. "My actions further the belief that this system is becoming an oppressive shithole that doesn't care about the people it's supposed to serve. Kira's actions give voice to the rebellious nature of the public. They want somebody who doesn't bother with a slow-paced justice system that often fails to convict heinous criminals. Somebody who can kill people quickly and easily, and from the shadows at that. We're seeing the vigilante fantasies of many, many people come to life right now, Winona."_

 _"You almost sound in awe of Kira."_

 _"I do respect his or her ideals, somewhat. And the power he or she wields. But I'm not going to trust Kira with deciding how this world should run, which is exactly what Kira will end up doing if he or she isn't stopped."_

 _"You don't need to tell me that. But do you really believe that Anna Akame could be Kira? I mean, she even encouraged that Naomi Misora to join the investigation as a consultant. Wouldn't she be shooting herself in the foot if she really was Kira?"_

 _"Yeah, Naomi's a talented investigator. If I were Kira, I wouldn't want her anywhere near my case. Unless I was confident in my ability to manipulate her, in which case I'd fight tooth and nail to get her involved."_

 _"That does make sense. But it would also make sense to assume that Anna genuinely is in favor of the Kira investigation, and that she genuinely was terrified of the people we sent to spy on her. All you have is a hunch right now, L, and you know it."_

 _"Yeah, you're right. The probability of Anna Akame being Kira isn't even 1% right now. And we still have other suspects to consider. Combining all the precincts in New York City and the detectives who're still working on the Kira case, there are still 78 people who could serve as possible leaks."_

 _"That's a lot of people to go through."_

 _"Which is why we'll need to narrow down the list. Naomi actually thinks Kira might still be an NYC high-schooler. Which means that Kira is in all likelihood a friend or relative of one of the detectives on the case."_

 _"There are still around 32 detectives still investigating the case who have families."_

 _"Then we need to start with them."_

 _"How? We can't just send the FBI to stalk them like last time."_

 _"I know. I'll ask them directly. Get Kate on the line."_

* * *

"Happy birthday to you!"

We finish our chant as Elaine blows out the candles on her cake. I then remove the candles, and we all cut the cake together. And then I smear some on her face.

The others start laughing on cue.

"Of course you had to do that." Elaine says, with a devious smile. "Of course you did."

I then get my face smeared with some cake. I am not surprised.

They are all laughing at me now.

"You know, you could just write all their names down for daring to humiliate you like this." Nazara says.

"Shut up." I reply.

"Okay, okay, how about we have some of the cake for real, huh?" Ursula says, and begins to properly serve us all pieces of the cake on Elaine's plates.

"It's good." I say, wolfing down my piece.

"Yeah, it really is!" Gretchen says. "Where did you get this, Elaine?"

"Oh, I made it!" she replies, proudly.

"Well, you certainly did a fine job." I say, and cut out another piece of the cake.

"Okay, now that cake's done, I wanna watch some TV!" Elaine says.

"Yeah, well, just don't turn on the news." Ursula says, with a chuckle. "You'll probably stumble upon another murder by that Kira fellow."

"I know. That's what I want to see!" Elaine replies, to the shock of everyone, including me.

"Wait...you actually look forward to Kira's murders?" Gretchen says, her voice full of terror.

"Oh, relax Gretchen." Elaine says, "We're the only ones here. We don't have to hide how we truly feel about what's going on."

"Yeah, you're right." Gretchen says, calming down. "It's just, my family's ballistic abut the whole thing. My dad keeps saying what a horrible murderer Kira is and blah-blah-blah. I've learned to seriously guard my opinions on this whole thing. My parents would kill me if they knew how happy I am that Kira's killing all these bastards."

"Yeah, and I'm on Kira's side too." says Ursula. "But Elaine, you really shouldn't be so forward about these things."

"Look, the only reason I'm being so honest is because I consider you all to be very close friends. I'm not some kind of motor-mouth that doesn't know when to zip it."

"Yeah, but still. It just isn't okay to go around saying that you consider a mass-murderer a hero. People will think you're crazy!"

"Which is why I've only told this to you people." Elaine retorts "You're not just a bunch of strangers to me. I know I can trust you with my feelings."

"It's okay, Elaine." I say, putting my hand on her shoulder. "I understand how you feel. I don't agree, but I do understand."

"No, no you don't Anna." she replies. "I haven't told you enough for you to truly understand."

"Do you want to?"

"Yeah, yeah I can tell you guys." Elaine says. "When I was 7, I used to live with my grandparents. One day, when we were walking back home from the mall, a mugger shot and killed both of them. I was forced to move back with my parents after that, but I never forgot that mugger's face. But they never convicted that bastard. They just let him go. I'd follow the newspapers day after day to see if he'd pay for what he'd done to me and my family, but in the end, he didn't. But then, when Kira began his crusade for justice, that man was among those who died during the second week. I knew it was him, I'd recognize his face anywhere. Kira avenged my grandparents when the fucking system couldn't. I've even started a fansite of my own in his honor. I'll do everything I can to support Kira."

"Whoa." Ursula says. "I just liked Kira because he was killing off bad guys. I didn't know it was so personal for you, Elaine."

"Well, now you do." she says with a smile. "And one of these days, we won't have to hide anymore. One day, we'll freely cheer Kira on as he brings about a world where nobody has to suffer the way I did ever again."

"I think I can get behind that." Ursula says. "I think we should have a toast."

"Whoa, slow down!" Gretchen says. "Miss goody-two shoes Anna here doesn't exactly approve of Kira's methods. We'll have the toast after she leaves."

"Hey, are you kicking me out?" I say. I think she's kidding, but I'm not sure.

"Of course not!" Gretchen replies with a laugh. "But I understand why this'd be a little awkward for you. A toast would just make things a little too creepy."

"Okay, forget the toast!" Elaine says. "I don't expect the whole world to come around to Kira's vision in an instant. It'll take time. But one day, Kira will be able to lead us all into a future where we can be truly happy."

"Yeah, I hope so too." says Ursula.

"As do I." says Gretchen.

Ironically, I'm the one who keeps her mouth shut.

We all forget about watching TV after our conversation, instead playing a game of Monopoly. Elaine wins, fittingly as it is her birthday, and then we all decide to head back home.

But it is the conversation about Kira that sticks with me. And Nazara.

"I did not expect that!" she says, laughing. "All of your friends are closet Kira fans? ALL of them?"

"I have other friends as well." I reply. "But yes, those are my closest ones."

"Wow. When I said that your friends wouldn't look at you the same way if-"

"I know exactly what you meant by that." I say with a smile. "But you were wrong."

"Yeah, that I was."

"It's working. My mission, my plan, it's working!" I say, excited. "People are happy about what I've done! They want a world where Kira will rule! Today, for the first time, I met people who showed their devotion to me without hiding behind their computer screens. They love me. They love Kira. And I love them. I love all the people who want to join me in the glorious new world I'm building! I will protect them in whichever way I can! I will serve them! Thank you, Nazara! Thank you for dropping the Death Note into this world!"

I turn around and embrace her, to her shock.

"Well, luckily nobody can see us right now." is all she can say.

"I will not squander the power you've blessed me with. Even if you just wanted to alleviate your boredom, you have given humanity the beautiful future it deserves. You have given humanity its new God."

I can hear her laughing at what I've just said. I was expecting this. But she won't laugh anymore when I've finished my mission. She will be impressed. She will be in awe.

"I am not joking, Nazara." I say, looking her in the eye. "I know I am destined for this. I will be the God of my new world."


	10. Chapter 10

"So, what will the people call you? Lord Anna? Nah, that's too unoriginal. How about Virgin Saint Annabelle the...er...fifth?"

"You're not helping, Nazara!"

She has been taunting me all evening about this. It was easy to ignore her when I was busy doing husehold chores and writing today's batch of names. But now that dinner's over and I'm ready for bed, she's getting on my nerves.

"Oh, I don't intend to. An immortal God like you wouldn't need any help from a mere Reaper like me." Nazara says, the sarcasm clearly evident in her tone.

"When I said I'd be humanity's new God, I didn't mean an immortal one."

"Well, of course you didn't! I'd be out of a job if people stopped dying. But you do want to be a God. Mind telling me in what sense?"

"There are two things every revered God has in common." I say. "People often look to them for guidance, and people pray to them so that their wishes may come true. I want to be the kind of God that will do both these things for my people as perfectly as possible."

"Oh, you want to be that kind of God? Lame."

"How so?" I say, looking Nazara in the eye.

"Your legends speak of beings who parted the sea, turned water into wine, and literally stunned people to death by their sheer Godliness. But anybody can become the kind of God you aspire to be."

"Really, Nazara? Does everyone have a notebook they can use to kill people at will? Has any single person made the kind of impact on society that I have? My crusade for justice has already had a phenomenal impact on the way people are living and behaving. Because of me, the rotten people of this world are dropping like flies! Nobody else could have gone as far as I've gone to cleanse this world!"

"I think you have a semantics problem, Anna." Nazara says, smiling. "Anybody who held the power of the Death Note could have done what you've been doing. They'd have the same power as you, the same choices as you. The question you should ask yourself is whether anyone _would_ go as far as you have."

I think over what Nazara has just said, and smile as I finally understand what she was getting at.

"Yes. There's a difference between those who have power, and those who use it for the right reasons. Anyone with a Death Note could have tried to do what I've been doing. But nobody has gone as far as me. Nobody other than me had the necessary courage and determination to rid the world of evil. In that sense, I am unique. In that sense, I am the most worthy owner of the Death Note."

"Well, I could care less who the most worthy owner of a Death Note is. But remember the difference between ability and choice. It'll serve you well."

"I wonder, though. Why are you helping me, Nazara? I thought you didn't want to interfere in my story."

"I'm not interfering at all, Anna. I'm just giving you advice that you're free to accept or reject. My choices and actions have ultimately no bearing on the way things turn out. It is you who's allowing yourself to be influenced by what I have to say."

"I see your point." I say.

"And speaking of advice, I have something else to tell you." Nazara says, with a mischievous smile.

"Okay. Tell me."

"You know that you need both the name and face of the person who's name you're writing in the Death Note. But aliases won't work. It needs to be their legal, true name. And I have technology that can reveal the true name of anybody you lay your eyes on."

"What? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I say, shocked.

"Well, I didn't think you'd be able to hold on to the Death Note this long. I don't like wasting my technology on incompetent people." she replies. "But clearly, you're different, Anna. With you, I can take things to a whole new level."

"What's this tech called? How do I get it?" A way to know people's true names just by looking at them? This would make my job much, much easier. Heck, with such technology I might even be able to get rid of L.

"Well, the device is called the Reaper's Eye. And I can sell it to you, for a price."

"What's the price?"

"Hmm...I admire your cautiousness." she says, smiling. "The price is half of your current lifespan."

"Huh?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot you're not familiar with Reaper economy." she says, sighing. "Human life is the currency of the Underworld. Generally, we trade using human souls that we collect from this world. But that can often be a pain, since your deaths are so unpredictable in nature. So, we figured out a way to game the system by making people surrender some of their life voluntarily."

"How does that work, exactly?"

"Well, we basically sell technology to humans in exchange for some of their life-force. We keep track of they way your bodies are working, and form an estimate of how long you'll live before dying of natural causes. If you choose to buy our technology, you agree to allow us to irreversibly damage your body by draining its vital energy. Your lifespan gets irreversibly shortened, and you'll die of natural causes more quickly. Of course, this isn't accounting for unpredictable deaths like those caused by accidents or murders, so you could end up dying even sooner."

"That's a risky business model, Nazara."

"Which is why I'm very specific about the kind of people I offer my tech to. You seem like the ideal customer. Heavily involved in a dangerous life-or-death mission, and with a Death Note at that. I'd say buying the Reaper's Eye would make it very easy for you to eliminate your enemies."

"You're not wrong, Nazara, but the deal...is out of the question."

"Oh." she doesn't sound surprised.

"I take it you were expecting me to refuse?"

"Yeah, I was." she says with another sigh. "You're probably thinking that you'll need to live a long life in order to successfully perform your mission and become God of the new world. And you have a point, your premature death would render everything you've done up till now completely pointless. I was just hoping you'd be desperate enough for me to make a quick buck off you."

"Wow, Nazara. That's pretty conniving of you."

"It was worth a shot." she says, and shrugs. "Just remember, this is a standing offer. Feel free to tell me if you change your mind."

"You know, the funny thing is, if you'd given me a pair of wings or something, I might have considered it."

"A pair of wings? What the hell are you talking about?"

"A pair of wings would be just what I'd need to feel like a true God. Soaring over my children, ready to jump in and protect them at a moment's notice. Not to mention that the ability to fly has been a dream cherished by mankind for millenia."

"Um...wouldn't that make you stand out? Very, very conspicuously? I mean we do sell low to mid-elevation wings, but..."

"Nazara, I was kidding."

"Oh. Very funny." Sarcasm again.

"I'll succeed in my mission without your technology, Nazara. And besides, you can easily collect the souls of everyone I've killed. You're really being a selfish prick, you know."

"Hahaha, I know. I need to give you props, Anna. You must be the first person I've met who's treated me like an equal."

"If I'm going to have you following me around all the time, I might as well get used to it." I say, and chuckle. "Do you have anything else to say to me?"

"Well, Anna, you're the most entertaining and interesting being I've met in all of my existence. I'm glad that you stumbled upon the Death Note." she says, and kisses me on the cheek. "Good night."

"Good night, Nazara." I say, doing my best to hide the fact that I've been aroused. Judging by Nazara's reaction, it didn't work.

"All you have to do is ask, you know." she says playfully, and begins caressing my chest.

"Shut up." I say, promptly turning away from her.

* * *

 _Good. Everyone's here. It looks like my trip to the States was worth it after all._

 _"Hello, everyone. I am L."_


	11. Chapter 11

_"And you can either submit, or burn with the rest." the woman says._

 _"No. I won't listen to you." replies the man, but he clearly sounds rather insincere._

 _"Why not?" says the woman, approaching the man. "I can be with you. I can make you happy. Don't you love me? Don't you want me?"_

 _I hurriedly chomp down on another handful of tortilla chips as she approaches the guy and wraps her arms around him. As twisted as the whole scene is, the woman is really hot, and I'm kinda getting turned on._

 _"No...what...what you're doing...is wrong..."_

 _"Why do you care?" she whispers. If I were in the guy's position, I'd give in there and then._

 _"I...you...I have to..."_

 _"No, you don't. You can give yourself over to me. You can experience all I have to offer you. Just let go of your foolish ideals. Just let me finish my mission."_

 _"I..I..." this man's been reduced to a groveling mess. He looks like he wants to apologize to the very siren who's seducing him._

 _I am loving it._

 _"It's okay, Charles." she says, cupping his face. "Just say yes. That's all you have to do."_

 _"Yes." the guy says, and they kiss. A watered-down PG-13 sex scene follows suit, which the guy really does seem to enjoy. However, I know perfectly well he's not coming back for any future episodes._

 _R.I.P Charles. Lust screws over the best of us._

 _Winona walks in just as I'm switching off the TV._

 _"They've made their decision." she says._

 _"Alright, then." I say, and get up. Winona had impersonated me when the investigation team was first 'introduced' to L. This was done so that I could watch from behind the scenes while she laid down the terms and conditions for working with me directly. The investigators were given two hours to debate and decide whether or not they'd agree to them. I will now walk out and reveal myself to those investigators who've decided to persist with the Kira investigation despite my warnings. I'm not expecting the number to be very large._

 _And indeed, it isn't. Seven shocked faces are staring at me, now that I've ACTUALLY revealed myself to them. Some of them are familiar faces. Some are new._

 _I was expecting Kate O'Donnell to stay. Naomi Misora and Harrison Akame's faces are also a welcome sight, given how furious they were at my failed snooping operation. Another investigator introduces himself as Rick Matsuda. The names and faces of Aiden Mathers, Vanessa Finch and Elton Coil finish up the team._

 _"I am L." I say to them. "The real deal. My apologies for using my assistant as an impersonator earlier, but we all know how powerful Kira is in ability. In fact, if Kira was among any of the people who came here to meet me, all of you could die any minute."_

 _The implications of what I've just told them dawn on their faces. Good, they're realizing the stakes here._

 _"You all didn't hesitate to show your IDs when my assistant asked you to. A careless move, but you were surrounded by fellow law-enforcement personnell, people whom you trusted implicitly." I seriously doubt Kira would be directly involved in the investigation against himself, but if these seven investigators suddenly wind up dead, I'll know exactly where to focus my efforts._

 _"But regardless, let's go with assumption that you won't be killed off by Kira. I personally doubt he's actually investigating himself, and even if he is, killing every other investigator would lead me straight to him. What is important is that you be very careful from now on. Kira in all likelihood is keeping track of the investigation against him, and sooner or later, our persistence will drive him to lash out. Which is why I spelled out my terms and conditions before showing my face to you people. I needed to be sure that you're willing to do whatever it takes to stop Kira."_

 _My terms were complete secrecy regarding the operation. None of these people will discuss the details of the investigation with their family or friends. They will also not keep any records of the investigation with them. I will have complete control over the time and place of each of our meetings. I have also prepared fake IDs for each of the investigators in the event they ever have to introduce themselves regarding the Kira case. I know that this could cause serious complications given that they're already full-time law-enforcement employees, but with an enemy like Kira, every little precaution needs to be taken._

 _And given that these seven people decided to stay even after Winona explained everything to them, I can safely assume we're all on the same page._

 _"Since you all chose to accept my conditions for working with you, however, I believe we can now get down to business." I say, sitting down on a nearby couch. "Thus far, we have little to go on other than our theories based on the patterns in Kira's murders. So we'll need to carefully examine them, find the ones most likely to fit, and test them out. Let's get started, shall we?"_

* * *

That's strange. Neither dad nor Naomi are picking up their phones.

Dad's staying at work longer than usual. All he told mom was that something had come up and that he'd be coming home late. Obviously, this has everyone in the family a little perturbed, but a terrifying realization is dawning on me now that I know that even Naomi isn't answering her phone.

They've gone to a secret meeting. A meeting wherein they can't use their phones. And they're both working on the Kira case.

Could it be? Could L really have gone that far? And how do I find out the truth without drawing suspicion? Will my dad or Naomi even be allowed to tell me if they've met L?

Even knowing that much would set my mind at ease. But this uncertainty is putting me on edge. I don't think keeping track of the investigation is going to be as easy as it's been until now. But if L is in this city, I could figure something out, some way to deal with him before the walls really start closing in.

Whatever be the case, dwelling on all this isn't going to do my peace of mind any favors. I need a distraction.

"Ben?" I say, peeking into my brother's room.

"Oh, Anna?" he says, visibly surprised. Of course he'd be, I haven't visited him in a while. After becoming Kira, it never even crossed my mind.

But as much as I hate to admit it right now, I need his company.

"What do you need?" he continues.

"Oh, I was just checking in." I say, walking in. "Truth be told, I'm a little bored right now. I wanted to see what you were doing."

"You? Bored? Well, that's a shocker." he says with a chuckle. "You seem to be busier than me most of the time, and I'm the one with a full-time job."

"Well, senior year certainly drains out your free time like nobody's business."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Hell, I didn't even get good grades when I was that age. Those were tough times." he turns his revolving chair around, and faces me. "It was a miracle I got into the college of my choice after school was done. I suppose getting my ass handed to me in the school exams made me all the more motivated to get my house in order."

"Failure's the stepping stone to success, after all." I say, chuckling.

"Yeah, that it is. It's pretty much impossible not to fail at whatever you're trying to do, you know. You're going to fuck up at least a few times."

Okay, that's the last thing I need to hear right now. One fuck up in my mission as Kira could destroy my life. It could even force me to kill my own family.

It is not something I can allow to happen.

"But you know you're doing something right if you're still breathing at the end of it all. Every moment you're alive is a chance for you to improve yourself, to make up for your past mistakes. I know you've heard all of this before, Anna, but there's a reason I keep reminding you of it. It can be easy to forget about the importance of learning from your mistakes when you're so caught up in your life. And if you don't learn from your screw-ups, even bigger screw-ups will follow. Your mistakes will always accompany you, Anna, but it's up to you to decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing."

I nod and smile at his words, just to let him know that I'm listening. And Ben does tend to give good advice. Before becoming Kira, I was usually very open with him about my problems and issues, and listening to what he had to say just made me feel better about myself. It's a shame I can't be honest with him about what I'm going through anymore. Ben has nothing but contempt and disgust for Kira's actions. He thinks I'm nothing more than a deluded, power-hungry terrorist.

There used to be days when hearing his opinions would drive me to tears, and I'd have to do everything in my power to restrain them. But now I know that I must carry on regardless of what he thinks. Because I know that one day he'll understand. One day, they'll all understand.

"It's been nice talking to you, Ben. I'm glad to see you still care about me!" I say teasingly, and walk out.

I can hear him chuckling as I walk back up to my bedroom, and find Nazara waiting inside.

It'll be nice to have somebody other than her who fully appreciates why I'm doing what I'm doing. Somebody I can turn to for help, somebody who I can share my vision with. Somebody who doesn't see me as an evil power-hungry megalomaniac, or a plaything for their own amusement.

Will I ever find somebody like that? Will I ever be able to fully trust someone with my mission of creating a beautiful new world where I can protect and serve all?


	12. Chapter 12

"What do you have to say to that, Mr Rosenberg?" the woman says, smiling triumphantly.

"Only that you played me brilliantly, Miss Wright." the man replies. "It's pretty clear I've implicated myself quite deeply into this whole mess, so I'll admit it. I killed Graham Mathers."

"Mr Rosenberg...why?" says another man. He's visibly the youngest of the lot.

"Because I'm an evil man. Isn't that enough for you, Arnold?"

"No. No it isn't! You were my friend! My mentor! You taught me everything I know, and I trusted you! So no, your explanation doesn't mean shit to me!"

"Well then, I suppose you'll never know the truth. Baliff, I'm ready to be escorted out."

Mr Rosenberg quietly leaves the coutroom in chains, and the episode ends.

Naomi and I were originally playing poker, while the TV set just droned on in the background. Fortunately, we managed to stumble upon a very interesting legal drama in the process. I'll be looking forward to future episodes.

"Wow. That was quite a shocker."

"Yes it was." I reply, with a smile.

"Just imagine. Finding out your own friend and mentor was such a cold-blooded killer. And to think that it was Rosenberg who got Arnold involved in the case to begin with."

"Yeah." I say, but I'm also surprised at the parallels between this episode and my own present situation. Naomi clearly regards Kira as a cold-blooded killer as well, and I'm the one who got her involved in the investigation against myself.

Bur unlike Mr Rosenberg, I'm not an asshole, and if he was a real person, I'd write his name down in a heartbeat. I can only hope Naomi realizes what a blessing my actions have been once the perfect world I'm working towards finally comes to fruition.

But regardless of whether or not she ever comes around, I need to stay close to her in order to keep tabs on the investigation. And I need to make sure she doesn't discover who Kira is prematurely.

"So," I say. "How about we finish up our game?"

We resume the poker game, with nothing else on TV being interesting enough to distract us. I am the ultimate winner in the end, which earns me quite a bit of Naomi's admiration. It's not like we were playing with real money, after all.

And then, Naomi's cellphone rings.

"Yeah? Oh. Oh, I see. Okay then. Alright, bye." she says, hanging up.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, it was L." she replies. "Just confirming my availability for the next meeting."

"Ah, I see." I reply. "How's the investigation going?"

"Pretty slow and frustrating, really. But that's to be expected, since we've barely met two times and there are far fewer investigators than there used to be."

I know better than to press for any more information. My father had revealed that L was being directly involved in the investigation when he came home those two weeks ago. I knew that probing too much into the matter would raise suspicions, since L would without question ask his investigative team about their interactions with family and friends. I know that my Dad doesn't suspect me, and I know that Naomi doesn't either, but I can't take any chances while they're still working for L. And while I definitely want to draw L out into the open and finish him off, I need to be patient.

L will lose his patience eventually. He will slip up and show himself. And when he does, I will kill him.

"Don't worry, Naomi. I'm sure you'll find him eventually."

"I know, but every day that goes by without us catching him, people keep dying. This Kira is relentless." she says, shaking her head. "But you're right. I need to be patient. This rampage has to end someday."

She smiles again. "So, what do you want to do next?"

I check my watch. "You know, it is getting a little late."

"Relax!" she says. "I'll be happy to drop you home! Besides, I really need you to taste my signature recipies!"

"Are you inviting me for dinner?"

"I sure am! Come on, Anna, it's so nice having you around!"

"Won't I be bothering your husband if...?"

"No way. He'll be happy to meet you!"

"If you say so." I reply.

"I promise you Anna, he has no hard feelings about you blowing up that snooping operation. L shouldn't have decided on such an operation to begin with."

"Yeah, but it is kind of ironic isn't it? First your husband was working under L, now you are."

"It is." she says, her smile growing bigger. "But I'm pretty sure L has learned from her mistakes."

"Wait, 'her'?" I say, surprised.

"Oh, your dad didn't tell you?" Naomi says. "Huh, he must be a really cautious man. Well anyway, the cat's out of the bag. L is a lady." she says, chuckling.

"Are you sure you didn't reveal something you weren't supposed to?" I ask, trying to sound flippant.

"Oh, don't worry about it! L didn't want us to be _that_ secretive!" she says, laughing. "To be honest, I thought your dad would've told you."

"Yeah, me too." I reply. Strange. Does that mean Naomi trusts me more than my own father? Or is this some sort of trick L's trying to pull? But would he or she seriously suspect me of being Kira? I wonder...

But anyway, if L is trying to bait me, the last thing I should do is bite. I'd best take Naomi's intel with a grain of salt.

And I'd better decide on whether or not I should confront Dad about this discrepancy.

* * *

 _ **I walk back home with my bag of groceries. The chilly London weather is giving me goosebumps despite my woolen overcoat. Oh, well I'll just-**_

 _ **Dammit, my bags! Shit, I've gotta pick everything up! Thank God there was nothing breakable, or else-**_

 _ **Huh, a helping hand. Looks like the girl who bumped into me wants to help out. That's nice. That's very nice.**_

 _ **"I'm so sorry!" the girl says as she stuffs the bag of flour back into my carry-bag. "I was so distracted, it was just-"**_

 _ **"It's alright!" I say, cheerfully. "You stopped to help me. That's more than enough to make up for your mistake."**_

 _ **"Yeah, I guess so." she says, laughing. "Here, this should be the last one."**_

 _ **I grab hold of my refilled bags, and adjust my glasses so that they won't end up falling off.**_

 _ **"Once again, I'm so sorry."**_

 _ **"It's alright!" I reply. She sure is apologizing a lot. I wonder why? Is she trying to get close to me? To manipulate me?**_

 _ **No, no she wouldn't do that! Look at her, she's just a teenager! Just an average, nice girl.**_

 _ **"I'm Mari Mikami, by the way." I say. "Nice to meet you."**_

 _ **"Oh, I'm Nier!" she replies cheerfully. "Nice to meet you, Mari. Are you of Asian descent, though?"**_

 _ **"Japanese, actually." I say. She's a curious girl. Curiosity is nice. But also dangerous. But she's too young to be dangerous.**_

 _ **"Ah, I see! So, you must be going home, right?"**_

 _ **"Yeah, I am."**_

 _ **"I could walk with you there, you know. Maybe even help you with your bags?"**_

 _ **"Wow, you really are being so nice!"**_

 _ **"Don't mention it!" she says, and I give her one bag.**_

 _ **We walk together towards my house. I must say, having her help with my bags has made my walk back much easier. Nier is a very nice girl. So kind. So selfless.**_

 _ **Could she actually be...?**_

 _ **No, no I can't take that chance. If I ask her, and she isn't, I'll be exposed. No, this must be my secret. Even if Kira is right in front of me, I cannot expose my allegiance to her. She claims to be a man, but I know better. Someone so pure, so selfless and wonderful could only be a woman. Men would not be able to handle Kira's power without being corrupted. Thankfully Kira is the very anithesis of corruption. She will delete it from this world.**_

 _ **But even if she is not Kira, Nier is a beautiful girl. She will be a perfect fit for Kira's world.**_

 _ **"So, can I ask you something?" Nier says.**_

 _ **"Of course, Nier!"**_

 _ **"What do you do, exactly? I mean, what's your occupation?"**_

 _ **"Oh, I'm a law student!" I reply.**_

 _ **"Ah, I see. What's it like?"**_

 _ **"Oh, it has its ups and downs." I say. "But all things considered, I'm having a good time."**_

 _ **"Glad to hear that. You know, I've been thinking about becoming a lawyer myself."**_

 _ **"Oh, really?" I say.**_

 _ **"Yeah, it's either that or join the police at the moment."**_

 _ **The police. Those monsters who are trying to hunt Kira down. But I shouldn't generalize. Kira will need the police to find evil people. Kira will also need attorneys to compensate for her limitations in being certain of their guilt. But every evil person under Kira's rule will finally get the punishment they deserve-deletion.**_

 _ **"Those are worthy goals, Nier." I say.**_

 _ **"Thank you! I'm glad you and I think alike, you know." she replies.**_

 ** _"Yeah, I'm glad too. But focus on your school for now, Nier. Take things one step at a time."_**

 ** _She sighs. "Now you're sounding just like my guardian." she says, annoyed. That's cute._**

 ** _"That's because your guardian's right, you know." I say. I wonder why she just said guardian, though. Is she an orphan?_**

 ** _"You must be wondering why I just said I had a guardian, though." she says, "The truth is, I'm an orphan. I never knew my parents. I don't even know how they died."_**

 ** _The poor thing. It's such a horrible world that allows parents to be snatched away from their children by the hands of evil. Thankfully, Kira is fixing that._**

 ** _"I'm sorry to hear that." I say._**

 ** _"Don't be. I'm not looking for any pity." she replies, suddenly defensive._**

 ** _I realize I've offended her. "Nier, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to...I'm so sorry I..." I need to make it right. I shouldn't have belittled her. Why did I belittle her?_**

 ** _"Whoa, relax!" she says, clearly shocked at my behavior. But I'm trying to apologize to her. Why is she shocked?_**

 ** _"You don't need to be like that, Mari! It's fine, really!" she says, relaxing. "I get that kind of reaction a lot. You were just trying to be nice, weren't you?"_**

 ** _"Yes." I say._**

 ** _"Then it's fine. You have nothing to apologize about."_**

 ** _"But, Nier..."_**

 ** _"I said it's fine, Mari. Lighten up!" she says with a smile._**

 ** _Lighten up. Yes, I do need to lighten up around her. Otherwise I might reveal too much._**

 ** _"Ah, here we are!" I say stopping near my house. Nier hands me the bag I was holding. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Nier!"_**

 ** _"Likewise, Mari. I hope we see each other soon!"_**

 ** _"Yeah, I hope so too." I say with a smile, and open the door of my house._**

 ** _As Nier leaves, I enter my home. I wish I could've been honest with her. I wish I could've genuinely been close to her, watched over her and protected her._**

 ** _But getting close to others is too dangerous for me. If I do that, they might find out. And I can't risk them finding out. Even if it's someone as pure and beautiful as Nier._**

 ** _I put my bags down on the kitchen table, and look in the mirror._**

 ** _The men at school were staring at me again today. As usual, they tried to keep quiet about how they think I'm cute, and hot, and beautiful. But I can hear their whispers. I can hear them confessing to each other about how they want to befriend me, or date me, or fuck me._**

 _ **And if I didn't know any better, I may have let them.**_

 _ **But I know what the men truly are inside. I know I can't trust them.**_

 _ **I check my watch. Yes, I'm right on schedule.**_

 _ **I turn on the TV, go to the news, and take out my diary.**_

 _ **Yes, they are announcing the names of the monsters Kira has slain. The evil she has deleted.**_

 _ **I flip to a new page in my diary as I write down their names.**_

 _ **Jonathan Walters. "Delete!"**_

 _ **Dorian Jameson. "Delete!"**_

 ** _Michael Clarke Williams. "Delete!"_**

 ** _Brian Hotchner. "Delete!"_**

 ** _Casey Winters. "Delete!"_**

 ** _Zack Donovan. "Delete!"_**

 ** _Dylan Henderson. "Delete!"_**

 ** _Samantha Taylor. "Delete!"_**

 ** _Jenna Hamilton. "Delete!"_**

 ** _Thomas Flynn. "Delete!"_**


	13. Chapter 13

"It's a tough situation, that's for sure." I say over the phone.

"Yeah, I know." Elaine replies. "How do you think my parents will take it?"

"Now what kind of question is that?" I say, baffled. "You know I haven't seen them that much. How am I supposed to know how they'll react to the fact that you're gay?"

I'd barely finished up judging today's batch of evil bastards when Elaine decided to call me. I had to hurriedly hide my Death Note and pick up the phone, and now I have to deal with her coming-out story.

Sure, she's my friend, and I mean to give her all the support I can, but I'm still a little annoyed by just how inconvenient her timing was. She doesn't need to know that, though.

"Hahaha. Yeah, I see your point. I think they'll be alright with it, though. It's not like I'm telling them about my feelings for Kira or anything." she says.

"Wait, are you saying you have a crush on Kira?"

"Not exactly, it's more like a fantasy. I just imagine him as a hot chick who's always watching over me."

You're closer to the truth than you think, Elaine.

"But anyway, I shouldn't be talking about all this." she continues. "You probably think I'm twisted enough as it is."

"That's not true, Elaine. Like I've said before, I understand where you're coming from."

"Yeah, I know. It's just, I've got a lot going on right now, and I'm glad you're here to listen to me."

"Of course I am. You can talk to me about anything you want."

"I know, Anna. Anyways, I'll break the news to them tomorrow. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck, Elaine. I'm sure they'll understand." I say.

"Thanks Anna." she says, and hangs up.

Elaine and I have always been really close to one another. In fact, these conversations between her and I are nothing new. We've been taking advice from each other for years.

But of course, my duties as Kira have changed the dynamics of our relationship considerably. Our exhanges have been getting more and more one-sided, as I can't afford to open up to her about my own problems. Doing so would only put both me and her in danger.

But it's comforting to know that she's a fervent supporter of Kira. Every time I hear her sing my praises, I feel wonderful, and it almost hurts to have to hide my elation from her.

I wonder if I should tell her the truth. I could recruit her as my own soldier, as I know she'd be eager to help me and support me in my mission. I could even become her lover if she wanted me to; it would be an excellent way to keep her motivated. But it would also increase the danger of me being found out, and if she isn't competent enough to handle the pressures of being Kira's soldier, I may have to kill her.

No, if I'm going to recruit her to my side, I need to be sure of her abilities. I need to be sure she can hold her own against L and everyone else who's investigating me. So I'll hold off on the idea for now. Maybe someday, if the circumstances demand it, I'll test her capabilities and seek out her help.

But for now, I need to see if my current experiment pays off.

"Mom, I'm going out shopping!"

"Shopping?" she replies. "You mean to the mall, don't you?"

"Yeah. I'll be back by the evening, though, don't worry." I say, going downstairs.

"Okay, then. See you Anna!" mom says, and I kiss her and leave the house.

My true destination isn't the mall though. It's the subway.

I pull out my mask and put it on. I also pull my hoodie over my head.

I am aware that Elaine isn't the only Kira fan that I know. And I don't want to unnecessarily endanger her.

But the person I'm going to use today is slightly more expendable.

Yes, Ursula has entered the subway station right on schedule. Now I'll just pull out my burner.

Yes, she's taken the call.

"Hello, Ursula." I say. She doesn't know it's me, though. My burner's been fitted with a voice-distortion software.

She stiffens up, like I expected her to.

"First of all, I need you to relax. I am not here to hurt you in any manner, do you understand?"

She quietly nods while I watch from a distance.

"Now, let me tell you who I am. I am Kira."

"What?" she replies, nervously.

"I told you to relax." I say. "You are being watched constantly by the subway's cameras, and I cannot have you behaving in a manner which arouses suspicion. Now, do you believe I am Kira?"

"I'm not sure." she says, her voice considerably steadier.

"Very well. Could you run a quick search for the names Raymond Geller and Maricia Weston then? I'll be right on this line, so feel free to use your smartphone."

After a while, she comes back on the line, her tone noticeably a little excited, but I quickly interrupt her.

"Before you say anything, just let me explain their causes of death to you. Raymond Geller died of a heart attack at 7 p.m Wednesday evening, while Maricia Weston died in a road accident two hours ago. How am I doing?"

"You're absolutely right, Kira." she says. "You killed them, right?"

"Yes, I did, and I promise you, they both had it coming. Now, could you please hold the line for a moment?"

I promptly head towards the female restroom right beside Ursula, and place the envelope inside the stall the furthest from the door, straight across. I then tell her.

"Now, I need you to act quickly, Ursula. Enter the nearby female restroom, and then head into the stall the furthest from the door, straight across. You will find an envelope there. Grab it, and leave."

As I hear her footsteps coming closer to me, I leave the stall, and head over to the sink. As I expected, Ursula enters the stall herself, and locks the door. A few seconds later, she is out and holding the envelope.

I tail her for a while until I can put sufficient distance between us and find a good vantage point, then I say-

"Excellent work, Ursula, I'm proud of you. Now, what I need you to do is take the Lexington Avenue line. Find a row of seats that are deserted, and take one closest to the window. Remember, I'm watching you."

I follow Ursula into the line, and can see her sitting a few seats in front of me. Both her row and my row are deserted. Excellent.

"Now I need you to pull out the envelope. Inside, you'll find a set of thinner envelopes. Do not open them. You will also find a sheet containing a list of names and faces. Now, take a closer look at the thinner envelopes. Do you see blocks of paper cut out from them?"

"Yes, I do, Kira."

"Now, all I need you to do is copy the list of names onto the square blocks cut out of the envelopes. I've even included a pen for your convenience. Can you do this much, Ursula?"

"Yes." she replies, and I can hear the sound of her scrawling with her pen. After a minute or two, she comes back on the line, and says:

"It's done."

"Okay. Pack everything you have back into the big envelope. When the train stops at the next station, leave without it. Just place it down on your seat and don't look back. And stay on the line."

"Okay."

As the train stops onto the next station, Ursula leaves without the envelope. Good, things are going exactly as planned.

I take the envelope from the seat it was left in, and exit the train myself. I then find another vantage point, and say-

"Congratulations, Ursula. You have served me well today. Just remember not to discuss this incident with anyone, whether they are your family, friends, law enforcement, or even someone who claims to be a Kira supporter, are we clear?"

"Yes, Kira." she says, nervously.

"I have done my research on you, Ursula. I know who your family and friends are. Fail me and they will all pay the price. All you have to do is act like today's incident never happened, understood?"

"Yes, Kira! I understand, Kira!"

"Good, now I want you to delete any and all recordings of this phone call. It shouldn't be in your call history, and it shouldn't be recorded in any manner. Now hang up and carry on with your day."

I see Ursula nervously hang up the phone and walk away. I'm not going to kill her. Not yet, anyway. I bugged her house when I visited her two days ago. If she ever says anything to her family, or even to herself, I'll know about it. And even if I don't find out about any leaks from her in that sense, I'll write her name down the second I'm questioned about the deaths of any of those seven FBI agents who were on the list.

An hour later, I've returned home, having purchased nothing from the mall I'd supposedly gone to. My hoodie's pulled back, of course, and my mask is safely tucked inside my pocket. My burner phone was disposed of on the way home.

My mom sounds a little disappointed that my trip to the mall came up empty, but otherwise doesn't say anything as I head into my room.

I take out the envelope from my pocket.

"So, how did it go?" Nazara asks. She's been waiting inside my house.

"We'll find out soon enough." I say with a smile.

I take out the envelopes. Getting the info on these seven agents was easy. My dad had been in contact with one of them after I'd blown the lid off their stalking operation, and he'd actually managed to reveal the details of all twenty seven agents involved in the operation at the time. I was careful not to select anyone who had families of their own, or anyone who'd worked closely with Naomi Misora or her husband Ray Donovan.

I'm pretty sure this information won't lead back to me, though. The communications I referred to are almost a month old, and happened mostly in the heated aftermath of when L's meta-investigation blew up in her face. This was the reason why all the information on the agents was released. My dad was far from the only man who could have served as a leak for this intel.

But nevertheless, I hope these deaths send a clear message to L and her underlings. I have had it with them trying to derail my mission to save this world, and the deaths of these agents is only the beginning. If they carry on trying to stop me, they will have to answer for the deaths of many more of their fellow law-enforcement officials, including people they might know and love.

All the while I've played nice with them, and they've remained relentless. Let's see how determined they'll be now that their own are starting to die.

"Hmm...so she wrote the names right beside where you'd written each cause of death, correct?" Nazara says.

"That's right. Different aspects of the deaths were written at different times, by different people. If I write the cause of death before my target's name, I can bypass the 6 minute time limit to finish up all the details." I say, turning on my laptop and tapping into my father's communications. "If the experiment worked correctly, they should all be dead right about now."

And sure enough, Rick Matsuda just sent Dad an alarmed e-mail informing him of the deaths of those FBI agents.

"Yes." I say, ecstatic. "It all went perfectly."


	14. Chapter 14

_"I was just doing my job, Mr Brian."_

 _"Doing your job? DOING YOUR JOB?! You aided and abetted a terrorist! You killed people for him!"_

 _"And I'd do it again. Now, are you going to arrest me or not?"_

 _I know what's going to happen next. The mole's going to incapacitate Brian and murder his wife on the way out. It'll be two whole seasons before Brian gets his revenge. And to think the mole seemed to be an innocent witness up to this point._

 _This is what I love so much about shows like these. Their delicious, juicy plot twists._

 _I bite into another tortilla chip as Winona walks in._

 _"One second, Winona. Just let this episode finish up."_

 _She gives me a knowing smile and waits._

 _Once the credits are rolling, I turn off the TV and leave my room._

 _"Hello everyone." I say to the team._

 _"You sure did keep us waiting." Harrison Akame says, sounding a little annoyed._

 _"Ah, yes I was watching a serial. You know, the one with that Counter-terrorism agent, Brian Mills. Anyway-"_

 _"Didn't that show end two years ago?" Matsuda says._

 _"I was watching the DVD. Now, how about we discuss yesterday's incident?"_

 _"Yeah, it looks like Kira's finally losing it." Naomi says. "He just murdered seven FBI agents for no good reason!"_

 _"Kira doesn't do anything without a good reason, Naomi." I reply. "He's going on the offensive."_

 _Naomi's expression promptly changes once she realizes what I'm talking about._

 _"Yes, I'm glad you're remembering. These seven FBI agents were part of the team I sent to investigate the NYPD all those months ago."_

 _"So, Kira's starting to directly target the people investigating him now?" Matsuda says._

 _"Yes. So far, he's restricted his targets to these seven people so that we won't be able to trace it back to him. Virtually anybody in the NYPD could have served as a leak for the information about them. After all, when Anna Akame..."_

 _Anna Akame. She was the one who blew the lid off my investigation to begin with. Is she also the one who killed those people?_

 _"Yes, my daughter told me that she was being stalked, that's how we found out that you were spying on the NYPD." Harrison says._

 _"Yes. I think we need to consider Kira's motivations for this increased aggression." I say, pacing the room. "Obviously, this is an intimidation tactic. He's telling us that he won't hesitate to kill anyone who tries to stop him. Not something that I fully believe, but-"_

 _"What? What do you mean you don't believe that?" Kate says, sounding shocked._

 _"You people are really messing up my train of thought." I say, sighing. "Anyway, like I was saying, Kira will not kill absolutely anyone who opposes him, as Kira has people he cares about. If that wasn't the case, his power would have already driven him mad."_

 _I pause, expecting someone to say something to the effect of-_

 _"But...but he has been driven mad, just look at what he's done!" Congratulations, Matsuda._

 _"No. Is he drunk on power? Yes. Is he foolishly trying to impose his vision on the world by force? Yes. But he's not mad, Matsuda."_

 _"And the only reason for that is...that he has people he loves?" Naomi says._

 _"Yes. And as long as they stay around, he can keep rationalizing his behavior. Which is why the seven agents killed were single people with poorly documented social lives. We can safely assume that Kira did not personally know them, and that he assumed that not many would miss them. But regardless, until we can be certain of Kira's identity, none of us are safe. If Kira is not amongst the family or friends of any of you people, your lives are in serious danger. However, let's not dwell on that anymore." I say, sitting down on the couch._

 _"Kira is trying to scare us into backing off. I'm fairly certain that if we don't apprehend him soon, more law-enforcement officials will continue to die. But of course, if anyone feels that the alternative of leaving the whole law-enforcement business to Kira is the best option, you're free to leave anytime."_

 _Nobody moves. Or laughs. No sense of humor._

 _"So, we'll need to start by testing each and every theory we have on which leak Kira could possibly have exploited to keep track of our investigation. The simplest theory, of course, is that Kira knows one of you people." I say, pointing to the investigators. "And testing this theory should be just as easy."_

 _"What do you mean?" Harrison says, leaning forward._

 _"Well, if we keep constant, discreet surveillance on the people close to you, there's a realistic chance of catching Kira in the act."_

 _"You mean stalking them, like you tried to do with us?!" Naomi says._

 _"Exactly." I reply, looking her in the eye. "Kira's been abusing the trust of those close to him this whole time. I find it only fair we abuse whatever trust he may have towards those he loves."_

 _"An eye for an eye." Kate says. "An ugly tactic, but I think it's a necessary one. Every minute we don't stop Kira, people will die, and that includes people like us."_

 _"The surviellance won't be permanent. A week or so should be sufficient for me to discern any meaningful changes in Kira's patterns. If Kira can't keep killing the way he has because he's being watched, all we need to do is conduct a search on the most likely suspect."_

 _"But L." Harrison says. "I don't think your earlier methods of stalking will work. We're functioning independently of the actual NYPD, and if they get any complaints..."_

 _"I understand, Mr Akame. Our surveillance will have to be thorough, without being too intrusive. I think dealing with immediate family members should be simple enough, if you can install hidden cameras in your homes. As for friends or distant relatives, that might be a little more complicated. But let's take a step-by-step approach and start with the immediate family members first. Now, who among you all live with your families?"_

 _Harrison, Naomi and Elton's hands go up._

 _"Naomi, you only live with your fiancee, correct? So, bugging your house should be incredibly easy. However, given that Kira's most likely a high school student, I doubt watching over your fiancee will turn up anything. Regardless, take him out on a date sometime soon so that Winona can get around to bugging your house." I say to her._

 _"And as for you two, Harrison Akame and Elton Coil, you both have kids that go to high school, correct?"_

 _"Yeah, I have my daughter, Anna..." Harrison says, clearly uncomfortable. He knows that she's a suspect in this investigation._

 _Naomi's visibly unnerved as well. Interesting._

 _"And, as for me." Elton says, with a nervous chuckle. "Both my kids are in high school. Their names are Robert and Kelly Coil."_

 _"And you have another kid living with you, right, Harrison? Benjamin Akame, a software engineer?"_

 _"That's right." Harrison replies._

 _"Very well, then. When your kids are out on work or in high school, I suggest that you people draw your wives out of their homes. Once that is done, Winona can bug your homes as well. Any questions?"_

 _"This...this will only go on for a week, correct?" Harrison says._

 _"Yes. One week, maybe less. If we come up empty, we'll have to consider other possible suspects."_

 _"I understand."_

* * *

I wave goodbye to Elaine and Ursula and I arrive at my house. I must say, I am impressed with Ursula's ability to keep a secret. Though I've been able to pick up on every conversation she's had after coming home, none of them have even hinted at what I made her do on the subway. Her loyalty to Kira could prove useful even later on.

But I'm a little surprised that nobody's home today. Hmm...

Anyways, I use my key to open the door and walk in. I go up to my room and-!


	15. Chapter 15

"Hey! Anna!" Nazara says, clearly annoyed by my behavior. Or more specifically, my pretending that she doesn't exist.

It was a necessary precaution I had to take after discovering what L had done.

"What the hell, Anna? I ask you to let me play some Team Fortress 2, and you clam up on me like this?"

But now that I'm well away from my house, I can explain to her what's going on.

"Didn't you notice, Nazara? The house has been bugged."

"What?" she says, unsurprisingly shocked.

"Yes, L decided to bug the house I live in. And this time, I'm pretty sure my dad is in on it too."

"Oh. Boy is she persistent."

"Yeah. And this also means that she suspects me directly."

What did I do to attract her attention like this? Was it because I convinced Naomi to join the Kira investigation. Or was it when I exposed L's investigation of the NYPD? Or maybe it was my recent experiment with Ursula. Could she have talked?

No, I went to great lengths to ensure that Ursula didn't know I was Kira. I can't possibly be the only suspect L has either. She's probably still looking for the leak in the investigation team that Kira's exploited this whole time. And I am a possible suspect in that case. My father doesn't truly suspect me, I think. Neither does Naomi. But they've both deferred to the judgment of L.

L has no reason to trust me. And many reasons to suspect me.

Regardless of the underlying reason, though, L is on to me. I need to be very careful about how I'm going to survive this situation. First of all, I need to do my research on L's surveillance procedures without being too conspicuous about it. Making trips to the library should be sufficient for now. I can peacefully do all the research I need in there. I have a good excuse as well; my SAT is coming up.

But I'll need to readjust my routine and figure out a way to continue my work as Kira from home as well. If I spend too much time away from L's surveillance, she could count that as evidence against me.

"Nazara, I can't actively look for surveillance cameras planted inside the house without incriminating myself. Could you please help me with that?"

I hear her chuckle. She must have been expecting this.

"Oh, Anna. Didn't I promise not to interfere?"

"What do you want?" I say, turning around and facing her.

"Hmm..." she says, with that smile. "Take the Reaper's Eye deal and give me half your lifespan!"

"No." I say, and turn around.

"Come on, Anna! It'll only make things easier for you."

"And it'll kill me a hell of a lot faster too. I'm not falling for your scheming."

"Then how are you going to deal with L? You know you need me."

She's right. I do need her. But I'm not going to be Shanghaied into that Reaper's Eye deal.

"There must be something else you want, Nazara." I say, softening my tone a little.

"Now that you mention it, there is." she says. "But I wonder if you'll accept."

"Just lay it on me, Nazara. I can be reasonable."

"Okay, then. I want to kiss you."

I immediately stiffen up. She actually wants to kiss me? Is she serious?

"Are...are you serious?"

"Yeah," she says, coming a little closer to me. "I've developed quite an interest in you, Anna. And fundamentally speaking, my needs are not so different from yours."

"Your...needs..." I'm blushing in spite of myself. Shit, get a hold of yourself, Anna, what are you thinking?

"Yeah, I like eating, sleeping, making money just like you humans do. I also like having sex."

"But you've never had sex with a human being, have you?"

"No, but I do find you humans to be very...attractive. Especially you, Anna." her hand is on my shoulder now. "And I know the feeling is mutual."

"It is." I blurt out. Shit. "But I can't. It's too dangerous, I don't know how..."

"Hasn't everything you've been doing been dangerous, Anna? Come on, do this for me, and I'll give you all the help you need."

"Nazara..." I say. "Not here."

I'm not thinking straight anymore. She's gotten to me.

"I know. Follow me, I'll show you a place where we can carry our experiment out in peace."

And I do. I don't remember much of the trip, only that half the time I'm thinking about what's wrong with me, and the other half the time I'm eagerly anticipating locking lips with this beautiful Reaper.

Nazara leads me to a lonely bedroom located I don't know where. And she takes a look outside and locks the door.

"There." she says. "We're perfectly safe here."

"How do you know this place?"

"The guy that lived here got his hands on one of my Death Notes." she says, smiling. "It didn't end well for him, and nobody's gone anywhere near this place since."

"I see..."

Nazara slowly inches her way towards me. I stand still.

"I know you want me, Anna." she says when she finally touches my face.

"Yes." I say, and kiss her.

It feels wonderful. I want to do it again.

From Nazara's reaction, I can see that the feeling is mutual. We both eagerly grab onto each other, desperately taking off our clothes. I feel more and more desperate for Nazara's touch as we carry on our experiment. Her kisses are also feeling more forceful, more deep.

I don't think I've ever felt this horny, this lustful in my whole life. And Nazara's behavior is only encouraging my descent into completely surrendering my body to her.

It's worth it. It's so worth it.

A phenomenal surge of pleasure nearly stuns me. I roll over and lie down on the mattress, barely able to process my surroundings. White noise has clouded my hearing. I can barely make out what I'm seeing in front of me. I just give in to the overpowering feelings of pleasure and warmth engulfing me, and close my eyes.

As soon as the euphoria washes over, I open them again. The first thing that crosses my mind is the time. I find my watch on the mattress itself. Nazara must have undone it while she was undressing me.

I check the time. It's almost 6 p.m. Still two hours before curfew, and I've been away from home longer than this. But my detour with Nazara certainly messed up my original plans for today. I wanted to go to the library and read up on hidden cameras and maybe prepare for the SAT. But I'll have to get around to it later now.

I look over to the side, and see Nazara lying right next to me. She looks absolutely divine, sleeping peacefully with that smile on her face. She really is the most beautiful woman I have ever come across. And I think I finally have her on my side now.

I kiss her, and whisper, "Nazara."

"Mmm..." she replies, and stirs. She looks so innocent and cute. I have a hard time believing that she is in fact a Reaper who makes a living out of leading people to their deaths.

I kiss her again, more deeply. "Wake up."

Her eyes flutter open. "Oh, hey Anna." she says, and kisses me.

"How was it?"

Nazara chuckles for a bit before saying. "The best sexual experience I have ever had. I've always felt that there was something special about you, Anna, and I'm proving to be more and more correct each day."

"Glad to hear it." I say, wrapping my arms around her. We kiss a few more times.

"So, are you going to help me with the cameras?" I say.

"Without a doubt. After how you've made me feel today, you've earned my help. And who knows, the next time we do this, I might be even more grateful."

I immediately kiss her deeply, just to let her know that I'm more than willing to become her lover if it earns me her loyalty.

"Excellent." she replies to my unspoken message. "You really know how to wrap people around your finger, Anna."

"I'm flattered." I say. "Now, come on, time to head back home. I need to get back before my parents start to worry, and you need to check for L's surveillance cameras."

And once that's done, I'll personally make sure L herself becomes the alibi for my innocence.


	16. Chapter 16

"So, how exactlly did you know that L bugged your house?" Nazara asks me as we walk back home. "Was it the paper trap by your door?"

"It was, but not in the way you think." I say. "Generally, the trap gets set off whenever a family member of mine enters my room without my consent. But the trap was completely undisturbed today."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But that isn't the only indicator I have. Whenever I close the door to my room, I make sure that I always rotate the door handle a few degrees downwards. If anyone breaks into my room, they normally won't have the foresight to do that, and will just leave it upright like everyone else does."

"But that isn't a terribly accurate indicator."

"I know, which is why I also place a pencil lead on the hinge of the door everytime I close it and leave. You may have noticed me taking it out sometimes when I got back home with you."

"Oh. Oh, so that's what it was! Damn, Anna, since when did you become so paranoid?"

"That's not important. What is important is the fact that the door handle was down, the pencil lead was crushed, but the paper trap was undisturbed. That was enough to make me suspect that the intruder to my room didn't want to be discovered. And my family isn't as paranoid as me, they've pretty much always stepped on my paper trap. A quick look around the room pretty much confirmed my suspicions. I could see camera lenses looking down on me."

"That's why you think L is behind this."

"Yes. Only L would have gone this far to spy on me. That bitch has probably convinced my dad and Naomi to go along with her schemes, so telling them about this won't work. I need to let L finish up her investigation without incriminating myself. Kira will have to continue dealing out her justice while this surveillance carries on."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"I've already set some deaths to occur within the next two weeks, so there won't be any obvious changes L will be able to latch on to. But I'll still need to continue killing criminals as they're being reported on the news, without watching the news. If I can pull that off, L will have no reasonable basis to continue suspecting me."

"And that's where I come in."

"Yes, Nazara. You tell me where the cameras are, and then I'll know how work around them." I smile and kiss her. "Remember, I'm counting on you."

Nazara simply laughs as we reach the front porch of my house.

I know I can't talk to her anymore from this point onwards. But I can see that she's already started searching the house for cameras. Good.

"Hey, Anna!" mom says.

"Hey mom!" I say in return. As usual, I kiss her on the cheek and make my way to my room.

Dad's not home yet. Does that mean he's spying on me along with L? It would certainly make sense; L would want my dad to fill her in on whatever little he knows about my routine. But that's alright.

I decide to study for my SAT while Nazara continues her search for the cameras. I need to keep calm, and studies have always helped me in that ever since I became Kira. Solving a few equations is small fry compared to getting people like L off my case.

I've already made my way through 20 questions in the textbook when Nazara walks in. "Twenty cameras downstairs. One by the door of your mom's room, one by the door of your brother's. There are five in the living room, seven in the kitchen, and two in each toilet apiece."

L's bugging the bathrooms too? I'm not surprised at all. I would've done the same thing.

Now, it's time for Nazara to search my room. If my suspicions are correct, L will have been the most thorough with it. Since I'm the only one in the family who attends high school, I'm effectively the prime suspect of this household.

"Two in the air conditioner? Wow."

"There are around ten in the bookshelf."

"Seven of them on the ceiling."

"Twenty right above your bed! I think L might have a thing for you."

"Another twenty surrounding your desk."

"Anna! Dinner's ready!" Ben calls out.

I go downstairs while Nazara stays up in my room counting all the cameras.

Hmm...is the TV on? I hope they're not...

No, phew. They're not watching the news, they're watching a movie.

And as always, mom's cooked well. Now, what do we have here? Chicken stew, steamed peas and...

"We interrupt this program for a live emergency broadcast!"

L. It has to be her. Still trying your best to trip me up, are you?

"This is L speaking." her distorted voice plays out from the TV set. "And I have a message for Kira. You have murdered seven FBI agents who once assisted me in my hunt for you. I am now certain that you've irrevocably gone off the deep end."

Really, L? You're trying to provoke me like _this?_ I expected better from you.

"You seem to think people will take your side eventually. That they will accept you as their righteous God and savior, and will beg you to protect them. But let me tell you something. Your murderous crusade to bring the world under your thumb is neither righteous nor just. It's insane, it's deranged, and it's pathetic."

Maybe L actually wants me to laugh at this little stunt of hers. Of course, I'm not going to oblige her.

"The people will never accept you, Kira. They will not let a shadowy psychopath decide for them the right way to live. I have recruited a worldwide task force of 1500 people who will be coming to New York City. They will look for you, they will find you, and they will bring an end to you for good."

The broadcast ends, and the channel's now airing commercials.

"Wow. 1500 people." Mom says. "The investigation must be getting really serious."

"And really dumb." Ben says, taking the words right out of my mouth. "They must be insanely desperate to have to publicly announce this kind of thing. Kira can kill people just by looking at their names and faces, and making such a big deal out of the investigation will only increase casualties."

"Yeah, you're right, Ben." I say. "Which is why I think this announcement's a bluff. L probably wants to trip Kira up by doing this. Maybe he's hoping Kira'll try to murder one of these 1500 people out of fear, so I wouldn't be surprised if information on them gets conveniently leaked online. But if Kira's as smart as I think he is, he won't fall for it. He's probably laughing at L right now." I say, allowing myself a smirk.

* * *

 _"Your daughter's a smart girl." I say to Harrison, as we watch the surveillance feed._

 _"I'm flattered." Harrison says, but his tone is flat. He clearly isn't enjoying this._

 _"Well, regardless of whether or not Kira takes the bait, it's worth trying at least." I say, and connect to Winona's line. "W, leak the information."_

 _"Roger." her distorted voice plays back._

 _"L, I have a question." Harrison says._

 _"Okay."_

 _"When we had our first meeting, Kate suggested we institute a media blockade, so that Kira wouldn't get any information on criminals, but you shot down her idea without really explaining why. I wonder if..."_

 _"Alright, I'll explain." I say, cutting him off. "Look, Harrison, it's very unlikely a media blockade would work out even if we tried. These media companies are protected by the First Amendment, after all, and they'd have every right to refuse our request for a blockade. And I'm absolutely certain at least some of them would. As you know, Kira's very popular right about now. And even if we could regulate the press, we wouldn't be able to regulate the internet. Kira would just get all his or her information from there."_

 _"Even if the information wasn't completely trustworthy?"_

 _"Yes, Harrison. If the internet was all Kira had to go on, he'd continue unabated. After all, a few possibly innocent lives are a small price to pay for the utopia he's envisioning. The world right now is too rotten, and Kira needs to fix it. For that, some sacrifices will be necessary. And besides, it's our fault that the media companies aren't talking, isn't it? We are the ones trying so hard to put a stop to Kira because we're just too cowardly to accept his solution."_

 _"If that's Kira's logic, things would be even worse if we could regulate the internet."_

 _"Precisely, Harrison. The more sources of information we clamp down on, the more desperate and dangerous Kira becomes, and the greater the chances are of innocent lives being lost. We need to keep the pressure on, of course, but not the point where the collateral damage becomes too high."_

* * *

I walk back up to my room, and find Nazara sitting on my bed.

"There are 64 cameras." she says. "I'll just explain the layout one more time.

There are two on the air conditioner.

Twenty surrounding your bed.

Another twenty around your desk

Ten are placed on the bookshelf

Seven are attached to the ceiling

And another five on the curtain rods."

I walk up to my desk. So, there are twenty cameras here, huh?

Nazara gets my cue and points each of their locations to me.

With such thorough surveillance, L probably wants to come to a conclusion about me in a short amount of time. And it would indeed have been easy for someone in my situation to slip up.

But I'm no run-of-the-mill criminal, L. I am Kira, the ultimate arbiter of justice. If I can't beat you, I have no right to become the God of the new world. But I will defeat you, and destroy you. This is as close as you're going to get to nailing me.

I open up my desk drawer. There they are. My personal collection of potato chips. All of them consomme flavored. Nobody in my family cares much for them, and it was easy for me to hoard them up in my room. On one of these is an innocuous mark I left all those days ago.

I'd bought it not too long after L's initial confrontation with me. Along with it, I'd bought a tablet. It cost me $110 which I took out from my life savings, but since I earned my scholarship soon afterwards, nobody caught on to it.

I'd specially resealed this pack of chips in case a rainy day like this one ever came along. Inside it lies my tablet, with a streaming subscription to all the leading news networks, and along with it, a pencil and a few pages of the Death Note. The lighting of this room will easily camouflage the lighting coming from the tablet, and I set it on mute so that nobody would ever know I had it. Unless L specifically bugged the insides of my potato chip packets, there is no way in hell she'll know what I'm actually doing.

I rip open the packet and set it down on the table. Pretending to get a potato chip, I then switch on the tablet, and turn over to the streaming app for Metro News One. Now, as they report on today's criminals, I'll be writing down their names in the Death Note with my left hand.

While solving equations with my right.

And from time to time, I'll take out one of the potato chips, and EAT IT!


	17. Chapter 17

_**It's when I'm shopping at the supermarket that I see her again.**_

 _ **Nier. I can't help but smile when I see her face. I'm glad fate thought it appropriate we cross paths with each other again.**_

 _ **She notices me too, and waves me over.**_

 _ **I walk over to her, eager to ask her how she's been doing. It has been a while since I last saw her after all, and I still haven't forgotten how sweet, beautiful and pure she was that day.**_

 _ **But then I see another woman with her. She looks to be the same age as Nier, but her demeanor is cruder. Less refined.**_

 _ **"Hi, Nier!" I say when I've finally reached her.**_

 _ **"Hey! Mikami, right? I was just browsing the place with my friend. Mellow, meet Mari Mikami. Mari, this is Mellow."**_

 _ **"Mellow?" I say, looking at Nier's new friend. She seems like a nice girl too. She's cheerful, and her smile is pleasant. But it's also a little cocky, and arrogant. Her dressing sense is also noticeably sloppier. She lacks Nier's humility and sense of grace.**_

 _ **But that's not a big deal. Not for now.**_

 _ **"A pleasure to meet you, Mellow!"**_

 _ **"Likewise, Mari." she says, shaking my hand rather firmly. "Nier's told me a bit about you."**_

 _ **"Oh?" I say. I didn't think I'd made that much of an impression on Nier. Mellow's revelation is making me a little conflicted.**_

 _ **On one hand, I've always thought about Nier too. I've always wondered how she was doing, whether or not she was safe, and I am glad that she remembered me too.**_

 _ **But then again, I know I can't allow anyone to get too close to me. I can't let them know too much. I can't let anyone know too much. If I keep seeing Nier and her friends like this, I might not be able to keep my distance.**_

 _ **But maybe I can trust her, after all. Maybe...**_

 _ **No, don't be stupid, Mikami. If they find out too much about you, they'll destroy you. You can't let them know.**_

 ** _"Hey, Mari!" Nier says, breaking my train of thought. "Mellow and I about to go watch a movie in an hour. You know the one, er, The Sheath! Why don't you come with us?"_**

 ** _A movie? I don't watch movies. They're a trivial, wasteful exercise. Time spent watching a movie could have been time taken to improve yourself, to contribute to society._**

 ** _But I have learned that I am an anomaly in this aspect. Everybody around me loves movies, and not all of them are evil. If someone like Nier can stay so beautiful despite watching movies, then maybe they aren't so bad._**

 ** _And as dangerous it may be, I can't find it in me to completely shut Nier out. I want to be around her and protect her. Maybe I can do that without letting her too close to me._**

 ** _"Of course, I'd be happy to!" I say._**

 ** _And then I remember that would mean that I'd miss the evening news and Kira's judgments for the day. But that's alright. My DVR will record the same. I just need to wait a little bit longer before seeing the world move one step closer to its ideal state._**

 ** _A world where righteous and beautiful people like Nier flourish, and evil and useless people perish. It won't be long. Soon, Kira will save us all._**

 ** _As I get into the cab with Nier and Mellow, I find myself wondering a little about Mellow. If I am going to protect Nier, then I need to know everything about her friends. Whether they are good or evil. Whether or not they're corrupting Nier._**

 ** _"So, Mellow." I begin. "How did you meet Nier?"_**

 ** _"Oh, we study in the same school." she says, smiling._**

 ** _"Yeah, Mellow and I have been classmates all our lives, actually."_**

 ** _So Nier has known Mellow since they were kids. That's good._**

 ** _"So you've been friends all your lives, is that it?"_**

 ** _"You could say that." Nier says. "Sure, we've fought each other a number of times too, but in the end Mellow's the closest thing I have to a sister!"_**

 ** _Nier and Mellow fought? Of course they did, people always fight each other. But everytime I've seen people fight, it's always gotten out of hand. I'm glad Nier and Mellow aren't like that._**

 ** _"Aww, look who's getting all melodramatic!" Mellow says, mockingly._**

 ** _"Mellow, she's serious." I say turning towards her. "You'd better take good care of her."_**

 ** _"Relax, Mari!" Nier says with a chuckle. "Mellow's a great influence on me. You don't have to worry."_**

 ** _"If you say so, Nier." I say._**

 ** _The movie we watch is downright horrible. The protagonist is a clinically insane and depressed man who falls in love with an abominable monster because his warped mind. After a point, it even loses basic narrative coherence, splitting off into three branching plots. The only one that I even remotely care for is the one wherein the protagonist turns himself to the police after his insanity is miraculously cured, but bafflingly he still loves that filthy monster._**

 ** _"You are my savior." he says in one scene that was supposed to be poignant. "You will always be my God, and I will always serve you, no matter what." This is followed right afterwards with them feasting on the very family they'd killed._**

 ** _But a look sideways completely shocks me. Nier is transfixed to the screen, while Mellow looks to be on the verge of tears. How can they be moved by this crap? The characters are very clearly vile, disgusting beings. Only madmen would ever identify with these fanatically devoted and insane lovers._** _ **Was I wrong about Nier after all?**_

 _ **After the movie ends, I decide to just ask Nier what she thought of it.**_

 ** _She tells me that despite all the horrible things they'd done, she couldn't help but feel for the protagonist and his lover. She told me she both loved and hated them. That doesn't make much sense to me._**

 ** _But here again, I suppose I am an anomaly. I shouldn't be so quick to judge and generalize. Nier is still a kind person. She still intends to be a productive member of society. As long as she doesn't do evil or get in Kira's way, I'll be able to tolerate her._**

* * *

 _"Well, what do you think, L?" Naomi asks me as we view the tapes._

 _"I think there is no reasonable basis to suspect either the Akame, or the Coil family."_

 _"So, that's it then?" both Naomi and Coil say, relief visibly coloring their tones._

 _"Well, I can't call them suspects anymore." I say. "But they're still people of interest."_

 _Harrison bitterly chuckles at my answer. He knows me too well._

 _Naomi, however, is a little confused. "What are you getting at, L?"_

 _"I mean that I'll still want to keep an eye on these families, Anna Akame in particular."_

 _"What?" she says, visibly upset. Elton looks shocked too, but also a little relieved, perhaps because of my mention of Anna Akame._

 _"Now don't get me wrong. I said that they weren't suspects, so we'll remove the surveillance we've placed and you all will look into other possibilities concerning Kira's identity. After all, that's the logical thing to do."_

 _"But simple logic isn't good enough for you anymore, is it, L?" Harrison says._

 _"Yes." I say with a smile. "I have a hunch. I think Kira managed to catch on to what we were doing, and that she adapted beautifully to the situation. I think Kira was smart enough to find effective workarounds to everything I've tried. I think that Kira is the most resilient, and most innovative criminal I've ever faced. And I want to get to know her better."_

 _"So it's just a game to you, isn't it?" Harrison says._

 _"It's always been a game to me." I say. "But of course, I am aware that in reality it's a much more serious matter, which is why I'm telling you all to leave these people of interest to me. If I am wrong, your investigation will lead you to the real Kira. If I am right, I'll be the one to expose her. It's a Win/Win."_

 _"But if we aren't even investigating the same people anymore, why should we keep working together?" Naomi says._

 _"Because if you all stay with me, I will continue to provide funding and support for your investigation, and you'll be under no obligation to bother with whatever it is I am doing. I think we can all agree that this arrangment is preferable to you people leaving."_

 _"You're right." Elton says._

 _"Yeah, I suppose I'll stay on as well. But I'm not keeping things from Anna anymore, L. I'm sick of all this secrecy." Naomi says._

 _"You can feel free to tell Anna whatever you want from now on, Naomi. I've covered my bases." I tell her. "Even if Anna is Kira, there's nothing you can tell her that will end up screwing up my plans. So if you want to go back to being open and honest with her, you have my blessing. As do you, Harrison. After all, she is your daughter, so this must be hard on you too."_

 _"Your permission isn't helping. I need to know what you're playing at, L." Harrison says._

 _"I don't know what I'm playing at, Harrison." I say, grinning. "Which is why we need to take things one step at a time."_

 _Harrison continues to grimace, but offers no response._

 _"Alright, then. Time for you all to get back to work!" I say, and go off to watch TV._

* * *

I came back home today to find that the cameras have been removed.

So I finally succeeded. I finally convinced L that I wasn't a viable Kira suspect anymore. Or rather, I've convinced L to lay off me for the time being. I know that I can't be sure of someone like her laying off me for too long. Most investigators would have never gone as far as she's gone to expose me as Kira.

I have to assume she's still after me. I just need to find the right opportunity to take her out.

But even with all those things considered, L removing the surveillance on me is excellent news. It means that despite her best efforts, she was unable to get any damning evidence against me. It's only a matter of time before I make sure she never gets another chance.

I had been aware that the trick with the pack of potato chips wouldn't last forever. Which is why one day I brought a stack of books I borrowed from the library, within which I'd hidden pieces of the Death Note. I also left some pieces of the Note within my wallet, allowing me to continue killing criminals, both inside the house, and outside it. Fortunately, the reserve scraps of Death Note paper I'd been carrying proved to be more than sufficient for the job.

After disposing of the packet of chips along with the tablet, I began to take short trips to the library and memorize the news reported there. Some of the criminals I'd kill with the Death Note pieces in my wallet, and some I would kill after coming home. Having full knowledge of the camera's blind spots by now, it was easy for me to write down their names even while I was being watched.

I even juggled my news sources frequently. Metro News One had up until now been the staple news channel I always relied on, and the one my family still watched. But I'd now begun to kill criminals reported by Breaking News feeds on Twitter, and even on occasion, slightly untrustworthy blogs such as PatriotWatch. I doubt my fact-checking skills truly failed me, however.

And now that L's removed the surveillance on me, I can finally study for the SATs in peace. Not that there's much time to study anyway. The test is just two days away.

As the day segues into the late night, I close the book I was poring over for the day, and lie down on my bed. Finally, I can sleep in peace, knowing that nobody's watching over me anymore.

"Hey, Anna." Nazara says. She's lying right next to me, as usual.

"Yes, Nazara?"

"This has been a great day for you, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. I finally beat L at her fucking game. Let's see what she'll try next."

"You think she'll come after you again?"

"Yes. Yes I do." I say. "I'm not going to underestimate her, Nazara. Until I kill her, I know L won't let go of me."

"That's being a little paranoid, isn't it Anna?"

"It is. But my paranoia's served me well." I say, smiling.

"It's served me well too." Nazara says, putting one of her hands over my chest. "You know what I really like about you, Anna?"

"Everything?" I say with a chuckle.

"Well, that is sort of true. But what really draws me to you, what really gets my attention, is the sheer passion you have for your mission. You really are determined to bring about this new world of yours, aren't you?"

"Of course I am." I say with a smile. "Haven't I made that much clear to you?"

"Yeah, you have. But you've also been persistent. And dare I say, very ruthless." she says, stroking my hair. "I like that."

"What are you getting at, Nazara?" I say, chuckling. I have a pretty good idea, though.

"You finally beat L, Anna." Nazara says, playfully. "Aren't you going to celebrate your victory with me?"

"I sure am." I say. "Just one second."

I fumble around and find my smartphone. I log into the internet browser, and enter the web address of a certain porn site I know Ben visits.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Nazara says, puzzled.

"Covering my bases." I reply. "If anyone walks in on us during our little dalliance, I can just tell them I was watching porn the whole time." I say, setting the mobile down on the bed. "It's something teenagers like me do all the time, after all."

"I see." Nazara replies, her alluring smile returning.

I wrap my arms around her, and kiss her hungrily. "Be gentle with the clothes." I tell her immediately afterwards.

Nazara nods in understanding, and I kiss her neck.

By the time we're finished, we're both overwhelmed with immense pleasure. As I lie down, awash with ecstasy, I'm starting to seriously worry about whether or not I'll ever find anyone who matches Nazara's carnal skills. I sure have hit the jackpot with her.

"Was it good, Anna?" Nazara says, as I draw her close and kiss her.

"It was. How are you so good at this?" I reply.

"I could ask the same of you." she replies. "It seems as though we were made for each other, Anna."

I laugh in response.

Interesting words coming from her. I wonder, though, do I love Nazara like that?

Well, I do enjoy her company, and I'm glad she came into my life. And sexually too, I'm finding her to be the best thing that's ever happened to me.

But beyond all that, no, I guess I don't. As long as she's supporting me in my mission as Kira, I'll be happy to keep her around. But I won't sacrifice my mission for her. And I definitely won't sacrifice my humanity for her.

And I don't think she truly loves me either. I'm probably still a plaything for her. All I've done is become a better plaything. I've become more interesting and endearing to her. And sexually desirable as well. But I'm still a plaything.

But our bond certainly is a lot deeper than what it was when we first met, and as long as I keep working on our relationship, I know Nazara will never leave my side.

If I have to be her plaything, I'll make sure she has all the fun she wants with me.


	18. Chapter 18

The SAT doesn't go perfectly, but I'm still quite satisfied with my performance. And since my performance at school has been remained consistenly excellent, I don't think I'll have any real issues getting into the course and university of my choice.

My studies are still very much under control. Now all I need to think of is what career path to take. Ideally, it should be something that facilitates, rather than impedes my work as Kira.

I am aware of how demanding a job can be. So I should choose one that's related to the nature of my mission. Maybe I'll be a prosecutor. Or a detective. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually.

Right now, though, I should just relax and take things one day at a time. My high school final exams will arrive soon enough, and once I've seen them through, I can fully shift my focus onto the college admissions.

* * *

 _"Are you serious, L?" Winona says._

 _"Yes, I'm dead serious. I'm going to follow Anna Akame right into whatever college she chooses, and you'll be coming with me."_

 _"Wow. First you manage to get a seat behind her while she's giving her SAT, and now you're going to stalk her at college?"_

 _"Who said anything about stalking?" I say, turning to her._

 _For the first time since I've met her, Winona looks absolutely horrified._

 _"L...you can't seriously be..."_

 _"It has to be done, Winona." I say, my voice firm._

 _Winona knows better than to argue with me. "Okay, L. Just...just be safe, alright?" she says, and walks over to me and grabs my hands. "I don't want to lose you."_

 _"I understand Winona." is all I say in reply._

* * *

It's been two months, and three weeks since I graduated from high school.

With the Kira investigation having reached a standstill, I was able to carry on my work as this world's savior with more ease and comfort than ever before. Both the scale and severity of my punishments have increased in the interim months between high school and college. I clearly have L on the backfoot, and I thought it fitting that I utilize this time to expand my influence on this world as much as I can.

Nazara and I have also become regular lovers these days. With her around, I don't think I'll ever need to date any boys at college, unless of course it becomes necessary for keeping up appearances. Or if I want to start a family.

But right now, a family's the last thing on my mind. Maybe after the world's been fully purified I can consider it. But it will take a lot more time and effort before that day comes around. I need to remember to take things one step at a time. Making rash, poorly thought-out decisions is how idiots, even ambitious ones, get caught.

But anyway, I need to brace myself for the start of the university's first semester. Once I thought about it, the choice of my career path became obvious.

I am going to study law at New York University. My scholarship will take care of the tuition fees, and I have high expectations for myself. I'm going to shine here.

I depart the bus as it stops at the campus gates. The commencement ceremony will be starting soon.

The stage, as I expected, is pretty spacious and grand, and I find an empty seat with ease. I am actually one of the earliest arrivals here.

"I'm so proud of you, Anna." Nazara says, with a smile. "You've become a consummate killer, an amazing lover and an excellent student over the time I've been with you. You really are a fun person to be around."

"Thanks, Nazara." I reply. The halls are deserted enough for no one to notice our conversation. "And I promise you, there will be plenty more of fun for you to have if you stick with me."

"I have no doubt about that." she says, and kisses me on the cheek.

I briefly grab hold of her hand in response, letting go when I see that a handful of other people have entered the hallway. One of them, a woman who happens to be pretty good looking herself, sits down right next to me.

"You must be Anna Akame, right?" she says.

"Yeah." I reply in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I'll explain everything shortly." she says, as more and more crowds of people keep streaming in.

What the hell does she mean by that?

The woman takes out her smartphone, and seems to be checking her text messages for some reason. After a brief chuckle, she puts it back in her pocket and faces me.

"I've registered my name here as Cara Delevingne. There is quite a resemblance between that model and I, don't you think?"

It's then that I notice it. The woman is speaking with a distinctive British accent. And she does bear more than a passing resemblance to the British supermodel she seems to share her name with.

"Well, yeah, there is."

"That's nice." she replies with a smile. "So, where was I. Oh yeah, you're Anna Akame, aren't you? Daughter of Harrison Akame? He and I've been hard at work on the Kira case, you know."

What? She's involved with the Kira case? But then why the hell is she telling me this? Why is she even here? What the hell is...

Okay, calm down, Anna. You can't let your nervousness show if this Cara is investigating the Kira case. She'll definitely get suspicious.

"You're investigating Kira? That's interesting, but I don't quite understand why you're telling me this." I say, politely and with a smile.

"Because I want to involve you in the investigation, Anna. I know how much you've taken an interest in this case after all. You even convinced Naomi Misora to join our team, and I think we should return the favor. If you agree, I can make arrangments to discuss our findings with you tomorrow."

Is this some sort of joke? This woman just walks up to me claiming to be investigating Kira, and now she's offering to involve me as well?

There's definitely something up here. Even Nazara looks thoroughly amused by our discussion. "You're missing out on the commencement speech." she says mischievously.

What do I do? Do I accept her offer, or refuse?

Well, I suppose I don't have much to lose by playing along with Cara for now.

"Okay, then, Cara." I say. "You can show me your information tomorrow, and I'll see what I can make of it. I'd prefer you allow me to meet the rest of the investigation team as well, though, if you truly do want my involvement."

"That's alright, Anna." Cara says. "I'll ensure you have full access to the Kira investigation. In fact, as a gesture of good faith I'll tell you one critical fact about it right now."

A gesture of good faith? One critical fact? This Cara's gotten me stumped well and good.

"My real name isn't Cara Delevingne." she says. "I am actually L."

WHAT?

L? It can't be. I've been talking to L? Is she for real?

Or is this a trap of some sort? Could she be an impersonator? Someone who's been sent here to trip me up?

But regardless of whether or not this woman is actually L, she's trapped me. I know that L can't possibly be her real name. And even the name Cara Delevingne is a setup. If I assume she's lying about it not being her real name and write it down, I could easily picture the supermodel Cara Delevingne's face, and she'll die instead.

And now that I've accepted L's offer to join the Kira investigation, she has an excuse to keep hounding me. If I suddenly change my mind and decide to back out, it'll look suspicious. But if I don't, then L can continue to keep an eye on me day after day. Even if by some miracle I'm able to find out what her real name is, I _still_ won't be able to write it down because she's probably told her investigative team that she was going to talk to me today. L's untimely death could easily make me the prime suspect of the investigation.

"What's the matter, Anna?" she says, looking at me. The vicious glee in her tone is very well disguised, but it's there. Now I know that her entire effort to involve me in the Kira investigation was a charade. She's convinced that I am Kira, and she won't stop until I slip up and confirm her suspicions.

And I won't stop until she slips up and leaves herself vulnerable enough for me to strike.

"It's just a little surprising you'd be so willing to share this fact with me, that's all." I say, with the best sheepish grin I can muster.

I know L isn't fooled, but she plays along. "I understand, Anna. But I'm telling you this because I know that with your involvement, I will be able to get to the bottom of the Kira case. I'm glad you decided to help out."

She extends her hand towards me. Without hesitating, I grab hold of it and shake it gently, but firmly.

"I look forward to working with you, L." I say with a smile.

After the commencement speech ends, we both are apparently done for the day. L continues to shadow me until we reach the gates.

"There's my car." she says, pointing to a rather attractive limousine.

Another pretty woman is standing beside it, and she promptly runs over and hugs L. L then waves me over.

"Anna, this is my assistant and driver, Miss Linda...no, sorry...Winona, yeah, her first name's Winona."

"Pleasure to meet you, Winona." I say, extending my hand.

"Likewise, Anna Akame." she says, shaking it. "So," she says turning to L, "I'll update the investigative team on you status, L." She then turns to me and looks me squarely in the eye. "You did manage to survive your first day in college after all."

"Of course, Winona." L says with a smile. She then turns to me. "I'll see you tomorrow, Anna Akame."

L gets into the back seat of the limo, while Winona enters the driver's seat, and they drive away.

"L just couldn't resist name-checking Ms Linda Taylor Whitely, could she?" Nazara says, giggling.

I finally manage to reach my house, and thankfully, no one else is there right now.

I make my way to my bedroom, and sit down.

"Heheheh." I can't help but giggle at the way my day's gone.

"That bitch. That fucking bitch. She played me good. She played me like a damn fiddle! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I don't know how loud I'm laughing, and I don't care.

"Wow, Anna." Nazara says. Is she looking a little scared of me? That's good. "You know you could just use the Reaper's eye deal and..."

"SHUT UP, NAZARA!" I scream. I will not have her taking advantage of me like this.

"Okay, okay." Nazara says. "Look, you've gotten through everything L's tried up until now, haven't you? You just need to be patient and..."

"I know, Nazara." I say, having calmed down a bit. "It's just, I never expected her to just show herself to me like this. She's good. She's really, really good. Even after everything I've done to keep her at bay, she just came over and made a fool out of me."

This is the second time I've been so humiliated by her. She has embarassed me on TV, and now in person as well. She will stop at nothing to destroy me.

"But anyway. The fact that she's trying to play all these mind games on me proves that she doesn't have any definitive proof against me. She thinks that by pretending to be my friend, she can trick me into slipping up and incriminating myself. But two can play that game." I say, putting my arms around Nazara.

"Care to elaborate?" she says with a smile.

"I can be her friend too. I can be kind to her." I say, playing with Nazara's hair. "I can manipulate her into letting her guard down." my hand reaches down to her breasts, and I gently fondle them. "And one of these days, she'll be vulnerable, and I'll be close enough to smell it." I say, inching my face closer to Nazara's.

"And then I'll know every last one of her secrets." I say, stroking her face. "After that," I say, breaking into a smile. "I'll kill her, with my own hands if I have to. Then I'll become the God of this world, while she'll burn in hell."

Nazara's lips are absolutely delicious.


	19. Chapter 19

_"No, no you can't to this! You can't do this, we're the same blood!"_

 _"Don't be ridiculous, Clovis. Of course I can do this. You had the ability to massacre thousands of those Elevens. Likewise, I have the ability to blow your brains out. Goodbye, brother."_

 _And there rings the gunshot. I can't help but feel a bit of pity for Prince Clovis as his head gets blown open, but he was a tyrant who'd gone too far with his megalomania. I really can't blame Lelouch for wanting him dead._

 _Unlike my usual routine with the TV, I'm not eating a pack of tortilla chips this time. Instead, I'm dyeing my hair pink._

 _"Are you sure Anna's going to come along with you to the convention? And more importantly, is this going to help our investigation in any way?" Winona says._

 _"Right now, my priority is getting as close to Anna as possible." I reply. "Time will tell if it ends up amounting to anything as far as the Kira investigation goes."_

 _I then turn to face her._

 _"And I'm all but certain that Anna will accompany me to the New York Comic Con. She'll never pass up any opportunity to get close to me."_

* * *

I exchanged phone numbers with L soon after arriving at University for my second day. L has dyed her hair pink, and when I asked her about it, she promised to explain everything later.

I'm probably a little too paranoid for thinking this way, but I think L's setting up an elaborate trap for me.

But that possibility isn't something I can waste too much time thinking on. If I obsess over L too much, my academic performance and my diligence in covering Kira's tracks will start to suffer.

And allowing L to have that kind of effect on me would be playing right into her hands.

Anyway, the first batch of classes go pretty well. The professors are taking things slow and easy right now, so it isn't very hard for me to keep up.

After the lunch break begins, L tells me to meet her at the Coles Recreation Center. She, of course, promises to explain the why of her request only after I comply.

I can see that the only reason she's behaving so mysteriously is so that I can't get a read on her. As long as I'm unable to figure out the motives behind every action she takes, she has the upper hand.

But that's alright. All I have to do keep my cards to my chest until the odds swing in my favor. If I stay patient and keep L close to me, I'll get my opportunity to eliminate her.

I pack up my bag and head for the Center. It's mostly crowded by seniors, which doesn't surprise me. Most of my classmates wouldn't be so quick to look into the athletics opportunities this early in the semester after all.

But still, it's hard to find L in this crowd, even though with her new pink hair she'd certainly stand out.

"Hey, Anna! Over here!" I hear her call out to me.

It doesn't take long for me to notice her waving me over. A short jog later, I'm standing right next to her.

L's dressed up in a fencing uniform. A very well-fitting fencing uniform. She's even holding one of those sword-thingies in her left hand. She looks stunning.

Dammit, this was the absolute worst moment for me to discover this new fetish of mine.

"You like what you see, do you Anna?" L says, with a playful smile. "You know, I happen to be a lesbian myself."

"I-I'm not a lesbian!" I blurt out. "I mean, I like guys too."

"So you're bisexual." L says. "That doesn't really change anything, if you know what I mean." she then looks around for a bit. "Besides, my friend's taking her own sweet time to get here, so you might as well knock yourself out."

"You-you mean...?"

"You like the way I look, don't you? You can keep looking, I don't mind."

Is L trying to seduce me? I suppose she is, since I did inadvertently reveal my attraction towards her just now. But she's probably also thinking about how far she should go with this tactic.

Not that I'm going to allow her to seduce me into revealing that I'm Kira. I'm not that weak.

"Have you ever tried fencing yourself, Anna?" L asks me.

"No." I reply. "I played a bit of tennis in junior high. I was even the school champion in tenth grade."

"So you're an achiever. And proud to admit it."

"I don't suppose you're any different." I say, smiling.

L chuckles in reply. "No, no I'm not. In fact, it's a little painful for me to keep my true identity a secret from everyone. I haven't even told anyone my real name, you and Winona included. I really do wish things didn't have to be this way."

"Yeah." So L's assistant doesn't know her real name either. That complicates things a little.

"I've never even kissed a girl, you know. My sex life has never moved beyond masturbation."

"Whoa, that's a little too much information, L!"

"It is?" she says, looking confused. I can't tell whether or not this is a feint.

"Anyway," L continues. "What I meant to say was that I know you find me attractive, and I find you attractive too. So if you want to get sexually intimate with me, I'm open to the idea."

"Oh, oh I see." L's behavior is still catching me off guard. But she hasn't gone on the offensive against me yet, so I still have some wiggle room.

"I suppose people aren't so forward about these things most of the time." L says, and shrugs. "But now you know what's what, Anna. And regardless of your decision, I want you to know I've really taken a liking to you. I look forward to where our relationship will take us."

"Likewise, L." I reply. And after mulling over what she's said for a few seconds, I add. "And just so you know, I'm open to the idea as well."

"Well, that was awfully quick of you." L says with a chuckle. Just then, we both notice another woman in a fencing uniform heading towards us.

"Ah, Elaine! Glad you were able to join us."

"What? Elaine!" I say, shocked.

Elaine looks at me, pretty surprised herself. "Anna, is that you?"

"Wow, I didn't know you'd made friends with Cara already, Elaine. Or that you got admitted here." I take care not to let slip that Cara is in fact L. I can't try to derail L's investigation in that manner if I am to appear sincere about capturing Kira.

"I could say the same of you." Elaine replies, breaking into a smile. "But I suppose we're destined to stay close to each other after all, Anna. And having a mutual friend means even more fun for all of us!"

L laughs a bit, after which she says. "I wish it were that simple, Elaine. But the truth is, Anna and I are going to be a little busy investigating the Kira case."

"Wait, what?" Elaine says, shocked. What the hell is L trying to pull?

"You see, Elaine, there's something I haven't told you yet." L says, lowering her voice. "I'm actually L. I came here undercover to recruit Anna for the investigation, and she gladly accepted my offer. We will do our best to make time for you, of course, but capturing Kira is our top priority."

"Anna, is this true? Are you actually going after Kira yourself?" Elaine says, looking me in the eye.

"Yes, Elaine." I reply. I know that by saying this, I might be ending our friendship for good. But I have to keep up the facade I've set up for L's benefit.

But I won't forget Elaine's devotion to my cause. Once L is out of the way, I'll explain everything to Elaine. I'll even allow her to rule the new world with me if she wants.

I'm trying to clean up this world so that people like her can live safe and happy lives. Elaine has understood my vision and my ideals perfectly, and I will reward her for her dedication when the time comes.

"That's great Anna!" Elaine says, and hugs me. "I'm so proud of you."

When she pulls back and allows me to get a good look at her face, however, I can see the sadness in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Elaine." I say, cupping my hand on her cheek. "I know what I'm doing. You're going to be alright."

My gesture is better received than I expected it to be. Elaine's eyes widen in shock.

Sensing an opportunity to clear things up on the spot, I then smile, and give a tiny nod, and suddenly she looks overjoyed. She knows. I don't have to lie to her anymore.

"Do whatever it takes." she says to me. "I believe in you, Anna."

"That's quite an emotional reunion you two are having." L says.

Elaine chuckles, and turns to L, while putting one of her hands over my shoulder. "Yeah, you're right, L." she says. "It's just, Anna and I have been really good friends since middle school. And now that I know what she's truly been up to all this time," she looks at me with a genuine, joyful smile. I smile back. "I feel closer to her than ever."

"I see you have a pretty good read on her too, then." L responds. "Anna's always struck me as the kind of person who'll do anything to change the world. I think it's an admirable personality trait to have, unless of course she just happens to be a criminal I've been trying to capture this whole time."

"Well, then you're lucky I'm not a criminal, aren't you L?" I say, feigning a casual tone and laughing. I know that she knows what I've just revealed to Elaine, but I'll make sure that L gets no conclusive evidence against me.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Anna. In fact, I think you might actually be Kira yourself." L says, looking me in the eye.

That was unexpected.


	20. Chapter 20

"What?" is all I can say in response.

"There's a small probability that you might actually be Kira, Anna." L replies. "A 1% probability, to be precise."

"Is that why you tried to give us all a heart attack, L?" Elaine says, incredulous. "To say there's a 1% chance of Anna being Kira? Hell, there's probably a 1% chance of _me_ being Kira!"

"Actually Elaine, your chances of being Kira are closer to 0.25%. Although there is a 0.75% chance of you being a Kira sympathizer." L says.

"So between Elaine and I, I'm the prime suspect?" I say.

"That's one way of putting it. I just wanted to let you know what was really going on in my mind when I approached you, Anna. I suppose you've figured my true intentions out by now."

After a few seconds of consideration, I decide I have nothing to lose by giving her a somewhat honest answer.

"I have, L. You want to keep me close to you because you think doing so will work out in your favor regardless of whether or not I am Kira. If I am Kira, you have an excuse to continue keeping track of me and looking for any clues that may confirm your suspicions. If I'm not Kira, you can still use me to help you in your investigation in order discover the real Kira sooner. Either way, you have the upper hand against whoever Kira is."

"You understand me perfectly, Anna." L says, beaming. "And regardless of whether or not you are actually Kira, you're just too interesting and talented for me to leave alone. Now, Elaine, how about we get on with our match?"

I reassure Elaine by looking her in the eye and smiling. "Go on. I'll be alright."

"Okay, Anna." she says, smiling back at me, and slides her arm off my shoulder.

A 1 percent chance of me being Kira. That's how close L is to nailing me. It's a miniscule percentage, but definitely serves as a good enough excuse for her to keep investigating me.

But it also gives me enough room to try and wrest control of the investigation away from her. L has already promised to allow me full access to the Kira investigation. The way things are right now, she has no reasonable basis for keeping me out of the loop.

Not that I expect L to be completely forthright with me in any case. No, the people who will give me the information I need will be her team. If she can only claim that I'm Kira with 1 percent certainty, her colleagues must be losing their patience with regards to her insistence to hounding me like this.

If L shares anything about the Kira investigation with her colleagues, I'll know about it. And if she doesn't, her investigation will slow down, giving me more time to catch up with her.

She and Elaine have donned their helmets, and now they're heading to face each other. The match is about to begin.

And it's very entertaining. For me, at least. I used to follow fencing events from time to time back in the day, so I'm familiar with how the game works. The "weapons" these girls are using are sabers, so the only points that count are hits to the midriff. In fact, I begin tallying the score almost immediately, and before I know it, I'm the de-facto referee of the match.

After Elaine wins the first game, L insists on a series of five games. Elaine happily agrees, and the game stretches on.

By the end, Elaine has won the series 4 to 1. I must say, I am very impressed with her skills. That fact that she beat L makes me even more proud of her.

I will definitely involve her in my mission somehow. I just need to make sure I don't incriminate either of us in the process.

I give her a congratulatory hug, and kiss her on the cheek for good measure. She in turn gives me a most heartwarming smile.

"I'm proud of you." I say. "And I'll be sure to stay in touch."

"Thank you." she says, and she looks to be on the verge of tears. Thankfully, she manages to reel her emotions in well enough to fool L.

"That was a great match, Elaine." L says with a smile. "And you managed to impress the hell out of Anna, too. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you." Elaine says again. "I...I should be going now. I have some classes coming up."

"Okay, Elaine." I say, and wave her away as she runs off.

"You really managed to hit it off with her." L says. "I had no idea you two were such good friends."

"Well, now you know." I say, smiling.

"Yeah, I suppose I do. And I have something else to tell you."

"Oh?" I immediately tense up.

"You wanted to know why I dyed my hair pink, didn't you? The truth is, I'm actually headed for the New York Comic Con. I'll be cosplaying at the anime festival, and I want you to come with me."

"Huh? Really?" I say, surprised.

"Yeah, Anna! After all, we're friends. We should enjoy our time with each other." she says. Her cheerful expression is so convincing that I almost believe she's being sincere.

"Oh, yeah of course." Goddamit L, why can't I figure you out?

"In fact, we don't have anymore classes, do we? Why don't you come with me? I could even show you where I live."

Show me where she lives? Is she being serious?

She probably is. Trying to bluff me in this manner will only make her look like a fool if I call her out on it. She really is playing her whole best friend act to the fullest.

In which case, I'm more than happy to play along as well.

"Sure thing, L." I say with a smile. "So, are you going to let me inside your limo as well?"

"Of course I am!" L says. "Just let me change out of my fencing gear, then we can head for my place."

"Okay."

L leads me to the entrance to the women's restroom, and asks me to wait outside while she changes. A few minutes later, she's changed back into her jeans and t-shirt, and I'm following her out of the building.

Her limo's pretty nice. The seats are clean and pretty, and there's even a minibar in there. Even the air conditioning works just right. Unlike what I expected, though, there is no glass screen separating us from Winona, who's driving.

It doesn't take too long for us to reach L's place. She's apparently rented a room in The Mercer hotel ever since joining the University.

"You're a pretty well-off girl, L." I say.

"I have quite the track record as a Private Investigator after all." she replies with a smile. "I wasn't kidding when I told Kira what I was capable of all those days ago."

She's referring to her televised broadcast again. Not that it has any effect on me.

Winona drives the limo into the parking lot, and the three of us leave the car and head for the nearest elevator.

"My room's on the fifth floor." L says, as she pushes the corresponding button.

We don't talk anymore as the elevator heads up.

I'm rather impressed by L's room once I enter it. It's neat, tidy, and sparsely but elegantly decorated. If I had to describe it in one word, I'd say it was classy.

And as much as I hate to admit it, I've developed a certain fondness for L, or at least the woman she's being around me. But that isn't going to stop me from killing her when I get my chance.

"Winona handled all the interior designing." L says. "I'm usually completely focused on my job, but it's all thanks to her that I'm able to do it in peace. She understands my ideal working environment perfectly."

"Wait, are you saying you do most of your work here?" I say.

"Not really." L replies. "Winona's actually designed every single room the Kira investigative team works in. I've booked multiple rooms in multiple hotels in order to carry out the investigation, and I've had her redesign all of them."

"Wow. That's a lot of work, Winona." I say, impressed once more.

"Ah, I'm pretty used to it!" Winona replies, and for the first time ever she smiles at me. "Besides, L's such a fun person to be around that running all her errands is worth it in the end."

"Yeah, I'm starting to see that." I say, and turn to L, who's making a call on her cellphone.

"Hello, detective Harrison! I'm afraid I'll have to steal your daughter away for a bit. Yes of course, you have my word. Do you want to speak to her? Alright, then. Yes, it's Reapers Eat Apples."

Reapers Eat Apples? Isn't that the-

"Anna. Your father." L says, handing me the phone.

I quickly take it. "Hello, dad?"

"Hey, Anna. How are you doing? How's University?" I hear my Dad say.

"Oh, I'm doing alright. It's still early so the lectures aren't that difficult to follow. How are you doing Dad?"

"Oh you know, investigating the Kira case. L's got us searching every possible law-enforcement agency for possible leaks he or she could be exploiting. It's really tedious stuff." he says with a chuckle.

"Oh, I see." I say. "Well, keep at it, Dad."

"Anna, I know what you're going through right now." my Dad says. "L's made it pretty clear to all of us back here that she wants you involved in the Kira investigation, both as a suspect and a consultant. Even though I know you could never actually be Kira, it's not my place to dismiss L's judgement. But I believe in you, Anna. You have nothing to worry about."

"I understand dad. Sooner or later, we'll all be alright. I know that." I say.

"Yes, Anna. We will be alright. And remember, just because L suspects you doesn't mean she actually thinks you're a criminal. She's just trying to cover every possibility there is. There's no need to be afraid of her."

"I know, Dad. But is L really with me? I mean..."

"I understand what you're getting at, but you really are with L. In fact, she insists that we always end our calls with a certain message to verify our identities. I think you heard her say it."

"Yeah, it was 'Reapers Eat Apples' wasn't it? What does that mean?"

"It's one of the messages L thinks Kira sent out to her when he was controlling his victims. In fact, she told me that she was going to talk to you about it."

"Oh, did she? Well, she hasn't brought it up yet."

"Oh, I guess she'll talk to you about it soon enough. Alright, then, take care Anna. Now could you give the phone back to L?"

"Of course." I say, and hand the phone over to L.

So L's using the phrase I sent to her two months ago her as a codeword. It was a good thing I feigned ignorance about it when I talked to Dad; I know that the message was never reported on in the news.

And Dad has also confirmed my suspicions that I have indeed been with the real L this whole time. Which means that she's decided to put her life on the line in order to expose me. She must be getting desperate.

But then again, she's still making Dad and everyone else look into other possible suspects. Could it be that I'm not that high on L's agenda after all?

No, letting my guard down by believing that possibility could be dangerous. I have to assume the worst case scenario that I am indeed the prime suspect.

And besides, it's entirely possible L wants me to let my guard down by pretending she's investigating other suspects. No, she's only using her teammates to cover her bases. I am her primary target, and I can't let her get to me.

L hangs up the phone and walks over to me.

"So, Anna, I've talked with your dad and he's allowed me to keep you. There's a guest bedroom down the hall, so make yourself at home there. If you need anything else, feel free to talk to Winona. I for one am going to go work on my costume."

"Wait, work on your costume? You haven't finished it?" I say, surprised.

"Oh, yeah I forgot to tell you." L replies, with a sheepish grin. "I still need around two or three days before I'm done with my costume and ready for Comic Con. I actually brought you here so that you could sleepover with me!"

"A sleepover?" I say, shocked.

"You're damn right!" she replies, "Sorry about springing it on you like this, but I actually want you to stay around with me for a few days. That way, we can discuss details of the Kira case at our own leisure and get to know each other better. I hope that's not a problem."

The smile she gives me after she's done talking is deceptively coy. But I know that this is just another trap. She probably wants to see if I slip up in any manner while trying to continue my work as Kira right under her nose. A futile effort, really. With all the deaths I've already scheduled in advance, and the fact that she's busy preparing for Comic Con, there's no way she'll get anything on me like this. It will be easy for me to keep L and Winona distracted, and even if I do decide to write some names down during my stay here, I'll figure out a way to prevent them from finding out.

"Not at all, L." I reply. "I'm looking forward to sleeping over."


	21. Chapter 21

_Hm...hm...hm...hm...hm..._

 _The flowers dance, in your open-ended sky..._

I sing my song as I go about my task. Yes, the tapes are all wrapped up and ready. Now, I just need to make sure they reach their destination in time.

 _I'll grant you all, all that there is..._

It is a beautiful song. And I wrote it just for her. For the longest time, all I've wanted is to serve her, and to love her. And now, I finally have my opportunity.

I ring up my contact, and ask him to meet me at the designated spot.

He's already waiting for me once I get there. I hand him the package. He takes one look at the address.

"This is the Gecko News headquarters, isn't it?" he says.

"Yes." I reply.

"Okay," says the courier. "I'll get on it right away."

He gets back on his bike and leaves. Little does he know that I've placed a tracking device on it. I'll be able to follow him to the Gecko News Headquarters myself.

It won't be long now. Soon the world will bend to my wrath. To Kira's wrath.

* * *

 _I'm getting a lot of weird looks today._

 _I'm not really surprised, though. Working on a case while dressed up as a royal princess was likely to have this kind of effect. But after the alert I got while returning from Comic-Con, I knew I didn't have any time to waste._

 _Anna seemed to have bought my flimsy excuse for running off a little too easily. I'd expected that she'd at least insist on following me back to my apartment in order to see for herself whether or not Winona had suffered a "stroke", in which case I would've been forced to reveal to her that Kira's just hijacked the Gecko News headquarters. Then again, if Anna is Kira, she was probably orchestrating this whole business while we were still at Comic Con._

 _"This is not a prank." the Gecko news anchor on the TV says. "Kira has contacted us directly. Five suspected criminals have died in accordance with his predictions. We have effectively become hostages of Kira, and have no choice but to do his bidding and broadcast his message to our audience."_

 _The screen then shifts to an artwork design. It spells out "Kira", but it's done in the style of my own logo. So, Kira's challenging me directly, then._

 _"I am Kira." a distorted voice plays out. It's an admirable effort to emulate my own distorted voice, but it isn't flawless. "As the anchors of Gecko TV must have pointed out, I am here to spread my message as far and wide as I can. I am also here to try and talk some sense into those who oppose me. Such as Bianca MacMillan, an anchor at Metro News One. I recommend you switch to her program as it begins on 7 p.m."_

 _It's 7 p.m already. "Switch the right screen to Metro News One." I say._

 _As Bianca's program begins on Metro News One, she promptly dies of an apparent heart attack._

 _"That was her punishment for repeatedly slandering me in public. I am sick and tired of being branded an evil tyrant. The Panel of Five at Weasel News will also share her fate."_

 _"Shit, the Weasel News Five program must also be starting right now!" Rick Matsuda says, switching the left screen to Weasel News. We see five dead people hunched over their desks._

 _"Keep in mind that I only killed these people because they vilified me, and misrepresented my true intentions." Kira continues. "I am someone who abhors evil, and seeks to remove it from this world. I have absolutely no intention of targeting innocent people. But those who publicly demonize me instead of supporting me in my mission are not innocents. They are just as evil as the heinous monsters I have slain. After all, what is stopping the media from siding with me? What is stopping the law-enforcement agencies from providing me with much-needed support and assistance? When we could all band together to vanquish true evil from this world, why am I being hunted? Why am I being oppressed?!"_

 _"This isn't good, this isn't good." Kate says, visibly uneasy. "We have to stop the broadcast!"_

 _"The people at Gecko News are being held hostage. They're understandably fearing for their lives right now." I say. "And besides, Kira might have laid some sort of trap for us. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks."_

 _"Well, screw that!" Vanessa yells. "I'm heading over there!"_

 _"Vanessa!" I shout._

 _"Relax, L. Kira needs both a name and a face to kill, right?" she says. She's barged out of the building before I can respond._

 _"I have a bad feeling about this." is all I can say._

 _"Perhaps you think I'm being too idealistic." Kira continues, taking my attention back to the TV screens. "Perhaps you think my dream of a perfect, peaceful world is impossible. Perhaps you think my methods are too extreme, and that I'm doing more harm than good. Well, in that case, I implore you to look at the facts. Since I have taken on the solemn duty of being humanity's savior, crime rates have been steadily plummeting all around the world. Violent crimes are almost non-existent in New York City these days! If everyone joined me in my quest, if everyone did their bit to aid me, why wouldn't evil be eradicated? Haven't I done enough to prove my sincerity? Haven't you been living in a safer, happier world because of me?!_

 _Even if it is beyond you to see the truth of what is happening, at least you could give me a chance. At least you could refrain from publicly vilifying me, or trying to stop me. If you weren't so desperate to cling to the way the world is right now, you would already be living in a glorious utopia!_

 _If you don't publicly demonize me, or try to stop me, I won't hurt you. I want to protect you people. I want to protect humanity, and uplift it to a glorious new age I know we can reach!"_

 _Just then, Matsuda switches to a news feed covering the scene at Gecko News Headquarters. Vanessa's at the front gate, begging to be let in. But then, she promptly collapses._

 _"What the hell?" Naomi says, her mouth gaping open._

 _"It seems we have underestimated Kira's capabilities." I say._

 _"Kira had no way of knowing our true names, right?" Kate says, horrified._

 _"I doubt it." I say. "If he or she did know our true identities, it would make more sense to just kill all of us in one go. No, Kira's likely acquired a new, deadly ability. He or she can kill us by just looking at our faces."_

 _"Are you sure about that?" Kate says._

 _"I'm not sure about anything. But I do believe it to be the most likely possibility. I also think Kira's likely keeping track of Gecko News headquarters herself right about now." I reply._

 _"I now present the police with an ultimatum." Kira continues. "You have four days to decide once and for all whether or not you will support me. My response for either outcome is ready, and will be broadcast after the deadline, on April 22nd."_

 _"Wait," Naomi says. "I have an idea."_

 _"What?" I turn around and face her._

 _"Do you have a mask of some sort, L? Something I can use to cover my face?"_

 _"What are you playing at, Naomi?"_

 _"I think I can work around Kira's new power."_

 _It only takes a couple of seconds for me to understand._

 _"Right." I promptly rush to a desk drawer at the left, and take out a ski mask. "This should suffice. But how will you enter the station?"_

 _"I have a plan for that." Naomi says. "Thanks, L."_

 _She then leaves the building._

 _"What's going on, L?" Harrison says to me._

 _"I think we may get our hands on those tapes after all." I reply._

* * *

"That's it?" I say, as the tape ends.

"Yeah," says the segment director. "That's all we're supposed to broadcast for today."

Suddenly, we hear a huge crash. It came from the ground floor.

"What the hell just happened?!" I shout, and patch into the intercom. "Security! Security, we have a-"

"NYPD! Freeze!" I hear a lady scream. I quickly turn around and see a woman with a ski-mask on pointing her gun at me.

"NYPD? W-what the hell is going on?!" I say, shaking.

"I came here to stop your broadcast, but that ship's already sailed. So I'm here to collect the tapes Kira sent you." she says.

"H-h-how did you get here? Kira's killing everyone who-"

"I used an armored truck, and I'm wearing a ski-mask." she says. "Now where are the tapes?!"

"Didn't we already tell you? Kira's going to kill us if we-"

Suddenly, she aims her gun at the window, and shoots.

The huge bang and the shattering of glass leave me terrified and speechless.

"Kira isn't the only person you have to worry about anymore! WHERE ARE THE TAPES?!" she's aiming her gun straight at me.

"Just hold on." I quickly rush to the safe and input the key. As soon as it opens, I take out the tapes inside and hand them over to her.

* * *

 _"This is L." I say, as soon as my phone rings._

 _"Naomi here. I retrieved the tapes."_

 _"Alright. I've made arrangements for you to be picked up at the front gate itself. Just calmy walk out, and don't remove your mask." I reply._

 _Naomi hangs up. Well, at least we got something out of this whole clusterfuck._

* * *

"And we're seeing the woman being escorted out by the NYPD convoy." the anchor says. "All of their faces have been covered to avoid detection by Kira. And as much as I fear for my life while saying this, the police have done the right thing by standing up to Kira! We cannot bow down to the whims of a ruthless mass murderer and allow him to steal our freedom, and our rights-"

I promptly turn off the TV set. I've seen everything I need to see.

"So you had absolutely nothing to do with any of this?" Elaine says.

"No." I reply. "If I did, there would be fewer anchors bad-mouthing me, not more."

Elaine had texted me while L and I were still at Comic Con about a special broadcast being shown on Gecko News. Her mention of Kira had piqued my curiosity, and conveniently enough, L had made up some dumb excuse to ditch me and run off just seconds later.

After having seen the broadcast, however, it seems pretty clear to me that L herself must have left Comic Con for the same reason I did. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the woman in the ski mask was a member of the Kira Investigative Team, sent there by L.

"So if you didn't do all this, then who did?" Elaine says to me.

"Well, whoever it is, he's definitely a fan of Kira. And in all likelihood, he's even more powerful than I am."

"What? He's more powerful than you?" Elaine says.

"You remember what I told you about my abilities?" I reply.

"Yes, you need someone's name and face to kill them, don't you?" she says.

"Yeah. But I think this new Kira doesn't need to know people's names in advance. He can figure out their identities just by looking at their faces. That also means he won't live as long as me, though."

"The rules behind your powers are pretty confusing." Elaine says sheepishly.

"I'm sorry I can't be more forthright with you, Elaine." I say. "But as long as L's still alive, she might try to use you to get to me. I need to minimize the potential fallout should that ever come to pass."

"I understand, Anna." Elaine says. "You are Kira, after all, so I'll always defer to your judgment. But what about this imposter? What will you do about him?"

"Well, he truly does seem to be on my side." I say. "But he's also done a lot of damage to my reputation by recklessly targeting dissenters and law-enforcement officials like this. Lashing out in this manner's only going to make more people see me as an unstable tyrant. That's why I can't trust him to take care of L or the investigative team for me. I need to get into contact with this imposter as soon as possible."

"And how will you do that?"

"I'll need to use L's resources. She's already invited me into the Kira investigation. It's about time I made full use of that invitation." I say, looking her in the eye.

"And what do you need me to do?" she says.

"Just keep a safe distance from the Kira case." I say. "Right now, your moral support is all I need from you."

After a slight hesitation, Elaine says "I understand, Anna. Good luck."

"Thanks." I say, breaking into a smile. I then hug her, and leave her apartment.

"Well, you're certainly getting really close to Elaine." Nazara says

"Are you jealous by any chance, Nazara?" I say.

"Me? Jealous? Don't be so conceited, Anna." she replies.

I chuckle as my cellphone rings.

"Hello?" I say, taking the call.

"Hey, Anna. It's Naomi. Are you alright?" Naomi says.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just saw the news, though. What Kira did..."

"I know. I had to break into Gecko News headquarters with a ski mask on. You must have seen me drive an armored truck into the building." Naomi says, with a chuckle.

"That was you? No kidding. So what are you going to do now?"

"Actually, that's why I called you." Naomi says. I see, so L herself wants to involve me in this investigation. "L wants you to meet up with the Kira investigative team. Where are you now?"

"I was watching the news with my friend, Elaine. Can you write down the address to her place?"

"Of course. Just a sec."

I tell her the address to Elaine's place, and then wait for her to show up.

* * *

I take another look in the mirror. My hair is nice, long and dyed blue. It goes with my suit perfectly.

"Christian, I'm worried about you." Rem says.

"Why?" I reply.

"I didn't give you the Death Note just so you could throw your life away trying to serve this idiotic messiah wannabe." he says.

"You're being awfully mean, Rem. How many times have I told you that Kira means everything to me?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! Your obsession with Kira's going to get you killed! Hell, you've already doomed yourself to an early grave by taking the Reaper's Eye deal! And now that Kira's almost certainly noticed you..."

"She'll come after me. Just as I planned." I say.

"And then she'll kill you! Dammit, Christian, this isn't why I came to you!"

"I know, I know. You gave me the Death Note to protect me, I need to be more careful, blah-blah-blah. But here's the thing. I am the owner of the Death note now, and I am choosing to use it to aid Kira." I say, looking the Reaper squarely in the eye. "And besides, I have the Reaper's Eye and she doesn't, right? She'll know better than to try to kill me."


	22. Chapter 22

The drive is a quiet one in the beginning. I'm sitting in the passenger seat right next to Naomi, as she takes me to L's base of operations. No one else is in the car with us.

Come to think of it, it's been a while since Naomi and I have spent some time together. L's been keeping her on a short leash. But now that I'm about to join L's team myself, I should get plenty of opportunities to make up for the lost time. Naomi's one of the few people on L's team that trusts me completely. I cannot lose that advantage.

"Are you alright?" I say, turning my head to face her.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." she replies.

I don't say anything more. There'll be plenty of time to talk to her after we've reached our destination. And besides, she's driving; it would be foolish to distract her from her task. Road Safety 101.

We finally reach what looks to be another hotel. I can't remember which one it is off the top of my head, and it doesn't matter anyway. What I do need to take note of are the security measures L's put in place.

The walk to the elevator is an uneventful one, which makes sense. L would prefer not to draw too much attention to herself. It's after Naomi takes me to the seventh floor that I see exactly what safeguards L has set up.

The entire hallway is lined up with surveillance cameras. And there looks to be a row of biometric scanners placed next to the doors of rooms 701 to 712. It would be safe to assume that these rooms are where the Kira investigation is operating from right now.

Naomi walks up to room 709 and places her hand on the scanner. The door unlocks, and we make our way in.

"Ah, so you finally brought Anna here!" L says, and she runs over to us. She hasn't changed out of the Princess Euphemia costume she was wearing at Comic Con. I can't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm working the Kira case in a princess gown. Good thing it's comfy, though." she says. "So, Anna, I think it's time I told you what's what. I actually lied about Winona having a stroke and everything, but I'm pretty sure you already knew that. Can I also assume that you know why I've called you here?"

"It's because of Kira's hijacking of Gecko News, isn't it?" I say. "You brought me here because you want my help in understanding what's happened."

"That is correct, Anna. Now, would you kindly come with me and take a look at some of the evidence the team's acquired?"

I follow L inside, and she shows me a set of tapes my impostor sent to Gecko News in order to get their attention. There is one tape the second Kira gave the producers in order to prove to them that he was the real deal. It details the deaths of five alleged criminals, right down to their exact time of death. The credibility of the allegations against them is rather questionable. So questionable, in fact, that I'd have refrained from targeting them. Which is probably the reason why he targeted them to begin with; he had to kill someone that I wouldn't have gotten to first.

The second tape is the one Gecko News broadcast to its entire audience. As I expected, it's identical to the message I heard over the news.

Then L comes over to me and points out the remaining two tapes.

"These are the two tapes Kira prepared for broadcast on April 22nd. One was in case we acceded to his demands, the other was if we refused. I'll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them."

The two tapes L mentions are similarly worded, but it would be safe to assume that L's team would likely refuse my imposter's demands. Which is why I think Tape 4 would likely be broadcast over Gecko News soon enough.

"Unfortunately, you all have refused to cooperate with me." the tape's message says. "In that case, I have no choice but to take the necessary measures in order to eliminate the possibility of any interference you may cause in my mission. In three days, L must show her face, along with the faces of her entire investigative team, on live television. I will then verify their identities, and if I confirm them to be genuine, they and only they shall be sacrificed. If L refuses my demands, or tries to play any tricks on me, however, I will have to shift my attention to her footsoldiers, namely, the beat cops and detectives further down the chain of law enforcement. Each and every day I will find and kill them, until the NYPD has been reduced to an empty shell. I will then extend my hunt to the other states, and ultimately the world, until L has nobody left to aid her. Don't be so naive so as to assume I won't go through with my warning. If you refuse to be my allies, and instead choose to be my enemies, I will unleash my full wrath upon you."

Wow. Given the power my impostor wields, it's quite likely that he will go through with his threat if L doesn't comply with his demands. Which means that L would almost certainly comply, dooming herself and the entire Kira investigation team to certain death within the next week.

It's brilliant. It's more than I could've hoped for. Even though my dad and Naomi would also figure in among the dead, allowing my impostor's plan to succeed would remove all major obstacles to the rise of my new world.

If I didn't know any better, I would've done everything I could to ensure my imposter got his way. I would've told L that this was the only way to deal with Kira, that she and her team had been comprehensively boxed in.

But sadly, I am well aware that L has a way out. And that way out, is none other than me.

"So, what do you think, Anna?" L says.

"I think that you're dealing with an impostor here." I reply.

The expressions of everyone in the room turn pleasantly surprised. Naomi and my dad look downright relieved.

L doesn't look particularly surprised, though. She just looks impressed.

I knew that L had already come to the conclusion that this Kira was an impostor. His reckless M.O, and his targeting of minor alleged criminals are clearly at odds with the way I've been doing things. And it looks like the rest of her team had caught on to the truth as well.

If I'd tried to pass off my impostor as the real deal, it would only have made me look more suspicious. L would have pushed forward with her theory of there being a second Kira regardless of what I said.

"The original Kira was never so reckless in dealing with his opposition." I continue. "In fact, aside from the murder of Linda Taylor Whitely and those seven FBI agents, Kira has never targeted law enforcement officials directly, and he certainly never killed any journalists for speaking out against him. The original Kira was far more cautious and patient. This imposter is neither of those."

"I agree." L says with a smile. "Which means we'll be able to manipulate the impostor more easily as well. If there are indeed two Kiras, we just need to pit them against each other."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" I say.

"Simple." L replies. "We'll send this impostor a message, and we'll make it out to be from the original Kira. And I think the person who records that message should be you."


	23. Chapter 23

"And I will always remember your deeds, Shirogane. You may already be back home in your true world, not remembering a thing about our time together. But you have saved us all. You have saved me. And I love you."

I break into a smile after watching the scene close. This is wonderful. Now that all the scenes of this visual novel have been fully voiced, all it needs is a nice scrubbing for bugs before being released into the market. That in itself will probably take about an extra month, so I suppose I should kickstart the marketing campaign as soon as possible.

I like telling stories. Stories of heroes, trapped and beset in a world full of woe and pain. And then they overcome their adversities, gaining the will and the power to create the future they want. Such people are the definition of human greatness, and for the longest time I feared I would never meet a truly great hero outside the world of my own fiction. Fortunately, with the arrival of Kira, my fears have been vanquished.

I have a pretty good idea of who she is as well. And thanks to Rem giving me my own Death Note, I can work alongside her in building a glorious new world. I can hardly wait for the day when I finally meet the woman of my dreams in person, when I can finally do my part in building the glorious future she has planned for us all. There is no doubt in my mind that my little crusade has gotten her attention. It won't be long before I'm able to successfully draw her out. And then I'll become a witness to her greatness, and a tool she can use to realize her vision.

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you, Christian?" Rem says, breaking my reverie.

After a slight hesitation, I reply. "Yeah, I suppose I am.

"You've told me that you already know Kira's true identity, right? So why not simply show up at her house."

"I said I have a pretty good idea. But I need to be sure, and I need to make sure I don't end up giving away her true identity to that bitch L and her underlings."

"Say what you want about L, but to be honest I think she's more sane than either you or Miss Kira can ever hope to be. You're playing a dangerous game here. I just hope you'll realize that before it's too late."

"This again?!" I almost scream in response. "Why don't you realize that this world needs to change? Humanity needs a hero like Kira to lift us up from this nightmare our existence has become! She's killing the rotten bastards who are-"

"Yeah, yeah I know, you don't have to go on your self-righteous rant again," Rem says, cutting me off. "Look, I get it. You think she's making the world a better place and everything. But I've been keeping track of your world since before your grandparents were born, so I have a pretty good idea of how Kira's little crusade is going to end. And it's going to end badly."

"You're wrong, Rem." I say. "You're wrong. Kira knows what she's doing. She's going to save this world."

"Then I hope for your sake that she succeeds." Rem says, and storms off.

Rem is wrong. And perhaps, deep down, he knows it. Why else would he allow me to keep my Death Note? Why else would he just stand idly by why I tried to get in touch with Kira? No, he knows he's wrong. He knows this world is going to change. Change into something absolutely beautiful.

I type an e-mail response to the assistant director of _Alternate Adventure,_ giving my go-ahead for the visual novel, and arranging a meeting to discuss post-production and marketing on April 27th. That should give me enough leeway to act on whatever response L and/or Kira have prepared to my little publicity stunt as the new Kira.

I then pack up my home stationary in my briefcase, and leave the headquarters of _Love Conquers All Entertainment, LLC._

Until Kira came along, stories were the only way I could reach out to people. The only way I could change their lives for the better. But now, I have a much more potent power in my posession. The power to grant death with the stroke of a pen. This is not a power that I, Christian Love, can take lightly. Which is why I need to seek Kira's aid. She has used her powers of death to become the only true hero of the real world. And once I find her, I too shall become a hero.

* * *

"Mmm..." L says, reading through the response I've prepared for my impostor.

After a few seconds, she says, "This is really well-written, Anna. It seems very authentic. Too authentic, as a matter of fact."

Naomi promptly tenses up. And even I'm surprised by L's reaction, considering that she basically declared me clear of suspicion after I said that we were dealing with an imposter. Sure, I know she's putting up an act, but is she really going to drop it so quickly?

"You have voiced your approval of the imposter's plan to force me and the rest of the team to show ourselves on television and get ourselves killed, just like the real Kira would. But we kinda don't want to die, you know." she says.

Oh, so that's what's bothering her.

"Heheheh!" I chuckle, "Of course you don't! I was joking when I wrote that part, feel free to delete it."

Of course, if my imposter's smart enough he'll push through with his plan anyway. But I'm not holding my breath.

"Okay, then." L, says, tapping away on her keyboard. "It'll be interesting to see how the imposter responds to this."

"Alright. Then shall we begin our recording?" I say.

"Absolutely. Kate, are you ready with the equipment?"

Kate brings a camera mounted on a tripod stand closer to us, and tells me to face it.

"Just speak into the camera, Anna. We'll handle the rest." L says.

"Recording." Kate says.

"Alright." I clear my throat. "This is Kira. I have a message for my imposter who hijacked the airwaves of Gecko News on April 18th. You have done immeasurable harm to my reputation by targeting innocent journalists and law-enforcement officials in such a reckless manner. I have heard of all the terrible things that have been said about me as a result of your foolishness. Any damage to my reputation is harmful to my cause. I cannot bring about a new world if the people do not trust me. However, I am willing to assume that you were acting in good faith, and hence I will forgive your transgressions if you cease your impersonation of me. If you refuse to heed my warning, however, the consequences will be severe."

"Excellent." Kate says, ending the recording.

"Now all we need to do is find some way to prove Kira's authenticity. I'll probably leak the identities of a few major criminals to the media so that he or she can dispose of them." L says.

"You can do that?" Kate says.

"Yes. I have plenty of valuable secrets under my belt. Secrets I saved for days just like these."

So L's managed to cover up the identities of some more major criminals in order to use them for her own ends, just like she did with Linda Taylor all those months ago. For all her moralizing about my actions, she sure is a devious woman herself.

"I think it's a safe bet that Kira will target these criminals once I've leaked their identities. They're really, really bad people." L says. "So we'll include a prediction for all these names, and mail it to Gecko News along with your response, Anna. That should convince the imposter that you're the real deal."

"Alright, then." I say.

"And Matsuda, I want you to check all the mail Gecko News receives from here on out. If there is any tape being sent to them by Kira, seize it."

"Okay, L."

"And I think that's about all we can do for now as far as the imposter's concerned." L says. "And I'm a little tired, too. Say, Anna, do you mind if I come by your place tonight?"

"Oh? Er, okay, I guess." I reply. What's your game this time, L?

"Great! You're okay with this too, right, Harrison?" she says, turning over to my Dad.

"Uh, yeah, sure." he replies.

"Okay! Winona can drive us all there. Let me just give her a call."

"Where is Winona, by the way?" I say.

"Oh, she's our designated lookout." L replies. "Every time our team meets, we assign a lookout who can monitor us all from the outside. That way, if anything were to happen to us, the lookout could alert the NYPD."

I see. So even if I somehow manage to eliminate everyone within the team, the lookout would still be able to escape.

"Hello, Winona? Yes, we're leaving now. Yeah, sure." L turns to us after hanging up. "Okay, Anna, Harrison, you two come along with me. The rest of you are also dismissed."

* * *

"We have two tapes to broadcast today." the Gecko News anchor says. "And both of them are claiming to be Kira. We have verified their authenticity, as both of them successfully predicted the deaths of 4 criminals each. Whatever this means, is for you viewers to decide."

Excellent. Kira has finally heeded my call.


	24. Chapter 24

"Alright. Here we go." L says.

Gecko News has reported that my imposter's got a new message for them. This comes in just two days after my message was broadcast on the airwaves. I wonder if he'll surprise me and stick to his plan to get L killed. But as I said before, I'm not holding my breath.

"This is a message to the true Kira. I do admit that I have been impersonating you, and I sincerely apologize for the shame I have brought upon your name. I am just a lowly, inexperienced follower of yours, doing whatever I can to fulfill your glorious vision. As a show of good faith, I will cease all my killings and other activities immediately."

"Congratulations, Anna. You just saved our asses." L says, beaming at me. So my imposter's decided to back down, just as I expected.

"However, I do not want you to bear the heavy burden of cleansing this world alone. I want to help you. I want to be there for you, and protect you against your enemies. This is why I beg of you to accept my assistance. We should find a way to meet without the police or L finding out. Don't worry, though. I know, as well as you do, that people that wield our powers have unique companions that no one else can see. Be sure to bring your companion along when you wish to meet me."

It takes every ounce of effort from my end to conceal the horror I'm feeling. That idiot!

"Unique companions, huh? That was definitely an interesting soundbyte." L says. "So our Kiras have unique friends tagging along with them? I wonder if that has something to do with their power to kill."

"Are you saying that these Kiras are using their hidden companions to do their bidding?" I say. Maybe I can still buy some time by leading L on a wild goose-chase.

"That is a definite possibility. Although I do find it hard to believe that such companions could be so flexible in the ways they kill people. I can't think of any person that can plausibly kill someone by heart attack or cancer whenever they're ordered to."

"Then these companions aren't human." Naomi says.

"Yeah, this case always did have a supernatural side to it." my dad says. "Maybe these companions are the source of Kira's abilities."

"Yes, I am inclined to agree with you on that, though it still doesn't give us much more to go on. However, the imposter might end up dropping more hints for us."

"So what are you suggesting, L? Do you want me to send the imposter another message?" I say.

"I'd prefer that the real Kira contacts the imposter." L says. "The only reliable way for him or her to do that would be to use the established Gecko News channel. The internet and other means of communication would make it difficult to ascertain the true Kira and the true imposter. And Matsuda is already keeping a watch on the mail Gecko News receives, so we'll be able to intercept any messages before they get broadcast."

I immediately understand what L is implying. Thank God I'm already a part of the investigative team.

"And we can use this to manipulate the two Kiras, right? Throw them off their game and make them slip up?" Naomi says, breaking into a smile.

"Precisely." L smiles back. "We are the ones who have the upper hand now. The first Kira can't risk letting the second Kira run amok, so he or she has little choice but to act according to my predictions. All we have to do now, is ramp up the pressure until one of them snaps."

"But what do we do until then? Wait?" I say.

"No, of course not." L replies. "There are still the possible leaks we have to investigate, though I think Harrison, Kate and Elton can manage that on their own. But as for you, Anna, I think your work here is done for the time being. You should go home and focus on college."

"With all due respect, L, I don't want to be left out of the loop." I say, looking her in the eye.

"Relax, Anna! I promised you full access to the investigation, didn't I? If anything comes up, I'll be sure to let you know." she says.

"L's right, Anna." Dad says. "I promise you, we'll inform you of any changes as and when they come up."

"Okay," I say. "I understand, I'll head home. So, should I call a cab, or...?"

"I'll drive you." Naomi says.

"Are you sure about that?" L says.

"Yeah, L. I'll take care of Anna." she says.

"Okay then. Have fun, you two." L says.

I follow Naomi out, and we get into her car. She then asks me if I'd like to stay at her place instead of mine. I say yes. This could be a good opportunity to catch up with her.

I stay silent as we drive over to her place. And as I enter her home, I can't help but feel there's something different about it this time around.

"Naomi, where's your husband?"

"Yeah, about that." she says, with a sheepish grin. "We divorced."

* * *

"I suppose it was just too much for me." Ray says, as we exit the bar together. "Every day that she went out to investigate the Kira case, I kept wondering whether or not she'd come back alive. After a point, I just decided I couldn't take the pressure anymore."

"I see. So your wife, is she still working with L?"

"Yeah. She's even got that girl, Anna Akame working with her these days. I swear, it's that teenager's fault I'm in this position. She just had to inspire Naomi to take up investigating the damn case. Ah, well, it doesn't matter now. Naomi can chase after Kira all she wants, at least I won't have to suffer because of it."

"But are you going to do anything about the Kira case yourself?"

"Probably, yeah. My job keeps me really busy, so I don't have much time to focus on anything else. Ever since I was taken off L's team, I haven't really had time to do much digging. But yeah, of course I'll do my best to get to the bottom of this Kira mess. That bastard's already cost me my marriage, and I'll probably be out of a job soon if he isn't stopped. Not to mention those seven FBI agents he's killed. I can't forgive him for something like that."

"I see." I say. I think I've heard enough. "You know, I've got to leave in a bit, but I'd certainly love to get in touch with you again. Do you mind giving me your number?"

"Oh, sure, no problem." Ray says. I take out a notepad, and flip over to the scrap of the Death Note I taped into it.

Ray starts trotting out a series of digits, but I'm not really paying attention. He hasn't even told me his last name, but my Reaper's Eye will allow me to dispose of him regardless.

 _Ray Donovan. Death by Suicide. 11:55 p.m He'll kill himself at a secluded location only he knows about, in a manner that makes it difficult to find the body. He will not interact with anyone else until then._

"Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I think your information will help me considerably in scripting my new game." I say. I just need to stay with him for 40 more seconds now.

"Not a problem, Christian. I've always been a fan of your work. It's nice to finally meet the man behind all of it."

"Good thing you didn't start screaming my name out to everyone in sight. Though I suppose I'm not _that_ famous."

"Yeah, I wouldn't say that you are, either. But one of these days I'm pretty sure you will be."

I take another look at my watch. Just 10 more seconds.

"You've been checking your watch quite a bit. Are you running late or something?"

"Oh, no, it's not that." I say, smiling. There's no one around.

I look Ray Donovan in the eye. "I'm just checking the time because I'm Kira."

"What? What's that supposed to..."

The confusion on his face turns into abject horror as he realizes what's going on. And seconds later, his expression turns completely blank. Excellent.

"I have to go." he says.

"Are you sure? Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"No."

"Well, maybe you can use my phone then. You know, to call your ex, or the police."

"No, thank you." he says, and walks away.

So long, Ray Donovan.


	25. Chapter 25

"Presenting the Silver Jubilee episode of Bullet Rebuttal, the Showdown Between the forces of hope and despair!"

"It ends today, Raito. Your stupid hope, and your STUPID LIFE!"

"You're wrong, John. As long as there's hope, I will never give up, and neither will my friends!"

It looks like this show's nearing its series finale. I can tell as much from the series mastermind being revealed, and the fact that Naomi seems really pumped up. I'm not very familiar with Bullet Rebuttal myself, but it seems like an interesting concept.

A sadistic mastermind seemingly abducted a group of high school students and subjected them to a killing game. Kind of like _Saw_ meets _The Hunger Games_. It even turns out that these students were living in a dystopia all along, but the mastermind gave them amnesia to make them forget that fact.

It's a complicated plot.

Predictably, though, the episode ends with all the good guys banding together and defeating the mastermind. What wasn't so predictable was the scene wherein the mastermind seemed to _enjoy_ his execution.

And then we see a preview for the series finale, and Naomi switches off the TV.

"So, did you enjoy the show?" she says.

"Yeah, it was interesting." I reply. "Maybe I'll look up the other episodes later on."

Naomi smiles.

"So anyway, I wanted to brainstorm about this Kira situation for a bit. Is that okay with you, Naomi, or are you just done with the case for today?"

"Anna, if there's anybody I'm always eager to discuss the Kira case with, it's you. What do want to talk about?"

"I'm trying to get inside Kira's mind. I wonder what he'll do now."

"Well, if I was Kira, I'd be pretty pissed about the fact that my imposter backed down from his plan to kill L and the investigative team, and thanks to a hoax message at that."

"But the imposter didn't have any way of knowing that the message was a hoax, right? I mean, the murders the tape predicted did actually occur."

"Yeah, they did. Which is why Kira's likely pissed at L too. She knew that he'd kill those criminals after their names were released, and then she used that fact to impersonate him. But of course, if it wasn't for the imposter popping up, Kira would never have had such an issue to begin wih."

"Yeah. That's why I think Kira will try to contact his imposter as soon as possible. He's most definitely not happy about the way things have turned out for him."

"Hmm...but you know, Anna, I think Kira's aware of the possibility that we might intercept his communications, and that they may never reach his imposter."

"I see what you mean. Since we sent our own fake message through Gecko News, it makes sense for Kira to conclude that we're monitoring everything the channel receives. Maybe he'll try to switch to another news channel for his communications."

"He could but that's a risky move. As soon as he does that, we'll be tipped off to the new channel's identity, and L can arrange for someone to intercept the videotapes sent there as well. Maybe Kira will try to bank on his imposter's intelligence, and hope that the imposter too tries using different channels for each message. But even that's risky. I'm not sure if I'd trust the imposter to be able to pull that off."

"Yeah, I don't think I would either." I say. "But if Kira won't try this channel hopping tactic, what other options does he have?"

"Well, there are two things he could do. One, he could stick to sending messages to Gecko News. But in that case, he'll have to make them interesting enough for us to broadcast."

"You mean, by providing L with some sort of clue regarding his true identity?"

"Yeah. Either that, or something that elaborates on the nature of his power to kill. The imposter did say something about a companion, right? If Kira somehow elaborates on that, especially if he manages to convince L that she has a breakthrough on her hands, the message will likely be broadcast. That way, the imposter will also let his guard down, and might end up revealing even more valuable information in his response."

"That is an extremely risky strategy. Of course Kira would want to arrange a meeting with his imposter, but would he really consider giving us information an acceptable trade?"

"That's why we have the upper hand, Anna." Naomi says, her smile once again reminding me of a detective on TV, inches away from cracking the case. "Kira's backed into a corner here. The only other option he has is to wait for his imposter to make the next move, which is also a very risky decision. It's in difficult situations like these that criminals tend to make their biggest mistakes. In fact, this is pretty much how I used to capture fugitives during my days in the FBI. It's only a matter of time before a bad guy snaps under the right circumstances. All we have to do is create and maintain those circumstances."

"I see." I say, smiling back at her. "In that case, I hope you'll let me know when Kira finally falls into our grasp. I want to be there with you when we finally haul him and his imposter in."

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll make sure you're there when L finally takes Kira down. I'd never let you miss out on that, not after everything you've done for me and the investigation."

"Glad to hear it." I say, laying my head on her lap.

"Are you tired?" she says.

"Just a little bit."

"Maybe I should drive you home."

"It's alright, Naomi. I'm okay with staying the night."

"Really, Anna, it's-"

"Naomi, you just divorced your husband. I think you need a friend by your side."

"Are you sure that's the only reason you want to stay?" Naomi says.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, we both know what you tried to do when we first met, Anna. I-"

"It's fine, Naomi!" I say. "Look, you didn't want that kind of relationship, and I accepted that. I'm not trying to rekindle any sort of romance with you, seriously!"

"Anna, just-"

"Look, I'm just trying to be your friend here. Nothing more, and nothing less."

She stays silent for a while, and then says, "Alright. You can sleep over. You don't have college tomorrow, right?"

"No, tomorrow's a weekend." I say, with a chuckle. "Relax, Naomi."

"Alright." she says, and I can see her smile return. "I usually don't turn the lights out for about another hour or two."

"What do you do until then?" I say.

"Well, usually I either review the Kira case or watch some more TV."

"How about we play poker?" I say.

"That's...actually a great idea." she says, and I take my head off her lap as she gets up.

We play five games, and I win all of them. Naomi must be getting rather frustrated, not beating me even once. Maybe I'll lose on purpose sometime, just to appease her.

Weird as it is to admit, she's one of the few people I can lean on at the moment, and brainstorming all the possible courses of action I could take with her confirms to me that I am in a very precarious situation here. My few available options include either leading the investigative team closer to solving the case, or relying on my imposter to take the initiative of getting in touch with me without screwing things up. Maybe the channel hopping approach would be the best way to handle the situation, but then again, that would require a lot of diligence on my imposter's part.

What if I tried to control some journalist with the Death Note, and make him my messenger? No, no, if anything goes wrong with that plan, the journalist will wind up dead, and I might end up incriminating myself. It will also be difficult for me to abuse my position in the investigative team to-

"Anna, come on!" Naomi says.

She leads me to her bedroom. It's a nice looking place. I can smell the faint scent of jasmine in the air.

Naomi herself is dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants. So that's what she sleeps in.

The bed is a spacious double bed. More than enough room for the both of us.

"You can sleep on the right side. That's where Ray used to lie down."

"Are you sure?" I ask her.

"Yeah, it's alright." she says. "But no funny business, alright?"

"Can I at least cuddle?" I say, with a mockingly puppy-dog expression.

She chuckles. "Yeah, you can cuddle. In fact, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep otherwise."

"So how have you been sleeping since the divorce? By cuddling your pillow?"

"Yeah." she says with a laugh.

And then we turn off the lights, and Naomi falls asleep in my arms.

I can't help but smile, looking at her face. She looks so adorable when she's asleep.

And even though I did assure her that I was just trying to be her friend, she is a rather attractive woman. I wouldn't mind getting intimate with her, though I know that's an impractical idea.

It's a real shame that she's so hell-bent on capturing me. Aside from her contempt for Kira, there's nothing else I dislike about her. She's nice, she's smart, she's funny, and I love spending time with her. In that sense, perhaps not losing her yet is a sort of silver lining to my imposter not going through with his plan to kill L and the team. Maybe there's still a way to get rid of L and solidify my reign over the world without sacrificing Naomi as well. Maybe she can still come around and realize that I'm only trying to protect humanity, that she doesn't have to keep opposing me. Maybe we can still be together after I've finished crafting my perfect new world.

But of course, all these possibilities are in all likelihood wishful thinking. Despite seeing for herself how much my actions have uplifted humanity, she just can't let go of her attachment to the rotten world of old. It doesn't upset or enrage me that this is the case. Change is difficult to accept even when it is for the better. It was a major challenge for me to adapt to a new life with the Death Note. But in the end, I did adapt.

If Naomi can adapt, if she can break away from L's poisonous influence, and accept me for the savior that I am, I will welcome her into my world with open arms. I will treat her with the love, kindness, respect and compassion that she deserves. But if she cannot adapt to the new world, if she insists on seeing me as evil and keeps trying to stop me, then I will kill her for the greater good of humanity.

It's up to her.


End file.
